U.S. AND IRAN TO HOLD TALKS ON IRAQ !

Iran has called on the US to take responsibility for the crisis in Iraq. Iran and the United States say they are to hold joint talks in Baghdad in the coming weeks on the situation in Iraq. Iran said it agreed to meet to relieve the pain of the Iraqis, support their government and reinforce security.
The White House said the talks, involving US ambassador Ryan Crocker, were aimed at ensuring Iran's "productive" role in Iraq.
The announcement comes after the two countries attended a conference on Iraq's security in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Tehran has agreed to hold negotiations with Washington to relieve the pain and suffering of the Iraqi people - Mohammad Hosseini.

Timeline: US-Iran ties

At the summit of world and regional powers at the Egyptian resort, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki blamed the US presence in Iraq for the continuing sectarian violence.
Hopes of bilateral talks following the meeting appeared dashed after the two countries' respective foreign ministers refused to meet.
The US and Iran have not had diplomatic relations since Washington severed ties with Tehran after Iranian students occupied the US embassy there and took 52 Americans hostage in 1979.
'Strong enough'
"You could expect a meeting in the next few weeks with Ambassador Crocker and Iranians. The purpose is to try to make sure that the Iranians play a productive role in Iraq," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe was quoted by Reuters as saying.
"This is an ongoing process of trying to make sure that Iraq's neighbours, of which Iran is obviously a major one, play a constructive role," he said.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said his government had agreed to a meeting following consultations with Iraqi officials.
"Tehran has agreed to hold negotiations with Washington to relieve the pain and suffering of the Iraqi people, support and strengthen the government of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki and stabilise security and peace in that country," he said.
"Iran has formally taken the issue [of negotiation] into consideration."
Mr Hosseini said the talks would be held in Iraq, but that the date and level of the negotiations had yet to be determined.
Iran's president recently declared Iran was now strong enough to talk to America - a reference to Teheran's progress in developing nuclear technology, the BBC's Frances Harrison, in Tehran, says.

BBC NEWS REPORT.