US invites Iranian Olympic wrestlers to US

WASHINGTON, Apr 26 (Reuters) Iranian wrestlers have been invited to train in the United States for the 2008 Beijing Olympics as part of an effort to increase US ties with the Iranian people, the US State Department said.

State Department spokesman Tom Casey said that in January of this year, about 20 American athletes and their coaches participated in a wrestling event in Iran and following that an invitation was made for the Iranians to come to the United States to train for the Olympics.

''To my knowledge, the Iranians have not accepted this invitation but we sincerely hope the Iranian regime will allow them to travel to the US,'' Casey told reporters.

The United States is at loggerheads with Iran over its nuclear programme and has spearheaded sanctions against Tehran for its refusal to give up sensitive uranium enrichment work Washington says is aimed at building a bomb and Iran insists is for strictly civilian power purposes.

Despite these tensions, the Bush administration has tried to encourage contacts with the Iranian people via sports and cultural exchanges, making clear it has problems with Iran's government and not the population.

''Our invitation to Iranian athletes is directed at increasing mutual understanding between the peoples of our two countries,'' said Casey.

The United States cut diplomatic ties with Iran in April 1980, five months after Iranian students occupied the American Embassy in Tehran and took US citizens hostage. Fifty-two Americans were ultimately held for 444 days.

Washington has said it would be prepared to deal with Iran if it gives up uranium enrichment and returns to nuclear negotiations.

REUTERS TB BST0517