Iran offers US cooperation on Iraq exit: Paper

London, May 9: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has offered the United States Tehran's cooperation in developing a U.S. exit strategy from Iraq, the Financial Times reported today.

It quoted Araghchi as saying the United States and Iran had the same interests in a stable Iraq and that direct talks leading to a ''face-saving withdrawal'' were possible.

''(The US-led) invasion was a disaster let there not be a disastrous withdrawal,'' he told the newspaper in an interview.

''Yes, immediate withdrawal could lead to chaos, civil war.

No one is asking for immediate withdrawal of foreign forces. But there should be a plan,'' he said.

Araghchi was quoted as saying the US presence in Iraq was part of the problem.

''Iraq is suffering a vicious cycle. There are foreign forces who have occupied Iraq and justify their presence under the pretext of the war on terror' and there are terrorists who claim they are fighting occupiers,'' he said.

Reuters>