MANAMA, Dec 9: Iran is ready, under certain circumstances, to help the United States withdraw its troops from neighbouring Iraq, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Saturday.

“If the United States changes its attitude, the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to help this administration” to withdraw its troops from Iraq, Mottaki told a Gulf security conference in Bahrain, the home base of the US Fifth Fleet.

“The key to solve Iraq's problems is the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq,” he said, adding: “The United States should help themselves before anybody else.”

“When they have said they have decided to withdraw from Iraq, then we will explain how the region can help,” Mottaki said. “The essential thing is to have a realistic picture of the current situation in Iraq.”

Opening a dialogue with Iran and its regional ally Syria was one of the key recommendations of a bipartisan panel set up to review US policy in Iraq after three and a half years of escalating conflict.

The Iraq Study Group, co-chaired by former secretary of state James Baker, recommended on Wednesday that Washington hold direct talks with Iran and Syria.

“Given the ability of Iran and Syria to influence events within Iraq and their interest in avoiding chaos in Iraq, the United States should try to engage them constructively,” said the report by the 10-member panel of veteran Washington insiders.

But Mottaki said the report was “half of the truth, not all” and that “changing the policy is not enough”.

“We do believe there are so many other steps that should be taken by the Americans” before the holding of talks, he said.

“First, and most essential, is announcing they have decided to withdraw from Iraq,” Mottaki said, adding: “We don't see the political will in the United States yet.”—AFP