Iraqi PM meets Iranian leaders

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is in Tehran, trying to reassure Iranian leaders that his country will not become a launching pad for an attack by the US.

While meeting Iranian leaders on Sunday in Tehran, Nouri al-Maliki sought to ease fears over a proposed US-Iraq security deal.

Washington and Baghdad hope to negotiate the agreement by mid-summer. Al-Maliki says it will not be a threat to Iran and points out that a stable Iraq would benefit the entire region.

Al-Maliki also appeared to signal that Tehran would not be squeezed out by any agreement. He says Iraq's "development and stability will be provided through more bilateral cooperation" with Iran.

Iran fiercely opposes the US-Iraqi security agreement, saying it will lead to permanent American bases on its doorstep.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Iran has a key role in Iraq's security.

The Iranian president hinted at concerns the security agreement would mean US domination in Iraq.

Al-Maliki's government has always been an ally of Tehran and the Shiite and Kurdish parties have longstanding and close ties with the Iranian leadership.

But US accusations of Iranian assistance for Shiite militiamen have strained those ties and tensions have grown amid the negotiations for the security deal.