Iran promised Sunday it would help curb raging violence in Iraq, saying it has been cracking down on al-Qaida militants on its soil _ with arrests as recent as last week _ and agreeing on closer security cooperation with Iraq's visiting prime minister. Iraq's Ibrahim el-Jaafari held talks with outgoing Iranian President Mohammad Khatami in a visit that aims to further solidify ties between the U.S.-allied government in Iraq and Iran, which considers the United States its top enemy, AP reported. Jaafari meets the next day with Mohsen Ahmadinejad, the president-elect who will be replacing the Khatami early next month. Ahmadinejad is expected to pursue the same line of closer ties with Iraq's government. «The security and stability of both countries are interrelated,» Khatami said in the meeting with Jaafari, according to state-run radio. «Tehran will do its utmost for the restoration of stability and security» in Iraq. --More 2327 Local Time 2027 GMT
