US President George W. Bush on Saturday told his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that he must "stop exporting terror" on the eve of the Iranian leader's first visit to Iraq. Ahmadinejad hopes his historic visit to Iraq on Sunday will mark a major step in strengthening ties between Iran and its conflict-torn western neighbour.
But Bush, speaking at a press conference at his Texas ranch with visiting Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said although the Iranian leader was Iraq's neighbour, "the message needs to be 'quit sending in sophisticated equipment that's killing our citizens.'
"Stop exporting terror," Bush said "and that the international community is serious about continuing to isolate Iran until they come clean about their nuclear weapons ambitions. That's why there will be action in the United Nations here early next week." The United States has accused Iran of supplying Iraq insurgents with bombs used to attack US soldiers.
Bush also vowed to maintain international pressure to force Iran to halt its disputed nuclear program, which, he charges, hides a bid to build an atomic bomb. Tehran insists its nuclear work is solely aimed at providing energy.
The UN Security Council is expected to adopt on Monday a third set of sanctions against Iran over its refusal to freeze uranium enrichment work. Iran and the United States held three rounds of talks over the security of Iraq last year despite mounting tensions over the Iranian nuclear program. The two foes have had no diplomatic relations since 1980.
The fact that such talks have taken place at all, given the acrimonious history between the two, was hailed as a landmark event. Ahmadinejad's trip will be the first visit by a president of the Islamic republic, which fought a bitter eight-year war against Baghdad during the 1980s. His visit to Shiite-majority Iraq is set to underline Western concerns about Iranian influence in the region that Washington alleges extends to aiding militants in Iraq and destabilising Lebanon. The trip is also seen as a strong show of support by Tehran for the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.