Iran says Afghan "crisis" needs regional solution

Iran's foreign minister said a regional solution should be found for the "crisis" in neighbouring Afghanistan, a news agency reported on Thursday, five days before a U.N. meeting on the country's future.

But the semi-official Fars News Agency, quoting Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, did not say whether he would attend the March 31 conference on Afghanistan in The Hague. The meeting was proposed by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In a swift overture towards Tehran by the new administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, Clinton said earlier this month Iran would be invited to the conference. The Dutch foreign minister said on Wednesday Iranian delegates would take part.

Iran has previously said it would consider attending and that it was ready to help Afghanistan as it battles a growing Taliban insurgency.

"We believe that a regional solution should be found for the Afghanistan crisis," Fars quoted Mottaki as saying during a visit to Brazil.

"Iran's goal in the region is to help peace, stability and calm which is necessary for the region's progress," he said.

Mottaki said earlier in March the United States was failing in Afghanistan and should recognise a new approach was needed.

Violence in Afghanistan is at its highest level since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion, and the United Nations warned earlier this month it was likely to worsen this year.

A U.S. official said this week Obama, who last month ordered the deployment of 17,000 extra U.S. troops to the country, was expected to announce the results of his administration's review of Afghanistan policy on Friday.

Iran and the United States have not had diplomatic ties for three decades and are now embroiled in a dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme, which the West suspects is aimed at making bombs. Iran says it is for peaceful power purposes.

But the two foes share an interest in ensuring a stable Afghanistan, analysts say.

Last week, in a televised address released to Middle East broadcasters, Obama made his warmest offer yet of a fresh start in relations with Iran.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday he had so far seen no change in U.S. behaviour, but Tehran would respond to any real policy shift by Washington.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and delegates from more than 80 countries, including Pakistan, will attend the conference on Afghanistan in the Netherlands.