The United States and Iran held a meeting earlier this week to discuss how they can improve Iraq's security situation. The meeting was the first formal and scheduled contact between officials of the two countries since the U.S. broke off diplomatic relations with Iran following the Islamic Revolution and the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran (Nov. 4, 1979).

The U.S. side reported that the four-hour meeting was "businesslike." Although it was an ambassador-level meeting, the U.S.-Iran contact could serve as a seed for larger efforts to help stabilize not only Iraq but also the whole Middle East. Both countries should strive to keep the momentum from being lost.

The meeting was devoted to discussing the conditions in Iraq and did not take up difficult issues such as Iran's nuclear program and the long diplomatic freeze. In the meeting, the U.S. called on Iran to stop training Shiite militants in Iraq and shipping highly lethal armor-piercing roadside bombs into Iraq that are used against U.S. soldiers.