LONDON, Feb 17: Iran cooperated closely with the United States to win support among the Iraqi population for the elections there last month and a "calm" atmosphere for the poll, Iran's ambassador to Britain said on Wednesday.

Ambassador Mohammad Hossein Adeli told a forum that Tehran was ready to work again with the United States to ensure stability in the Middle East when their interests converged.

Tehran and Washington have not had diplomatic links since the 1979 revolution and relations between them are currently tense. But Mr Adeli said they had worked through diplomatic channels, including Britain, to promote their common interests in successful elections in Iraq.

"For the recent elections, there was not only implicit but explicit indirect and direct cooperation between the two, Iran and the United States, in order to keep the majority calm and in favour of the election," Adeli said.

Adeli said Iran had campaigned in favour of the elections not only with Shias in Iraq but had also tried to persuade Sunnis that the poll was in their interests.

"In order to keep the majority of the people in Iraq quite in favour of the developments over there, especially the elections ... we consulted and had communication with the Sunni groups on which we have had some sort of relationship or influence," he said.

"We encouraged them that this a process in favour of Iraq." The United States has mounted an increasingly vociferous campaign against Iran, accusing it of trying to build nuclear weapons and supporting "terrorist" groups in the region. Iran vehemently denies both charges.

HISTORY OF COOPERATION: Adeli added that before the Iraqi elections Iran and the United States had not only "exchanged notes" through interest sections they maintained in the Pakistani and Swiss embassies in Washington and Tehran, but had also worked through London.