‘The Iraqi government is in need of strong military and security structure to confront its security problems and we have offered all forms of assistance such as weapons, training and equipment,’ he said following a landmark meeting with his US counterpart.

While describing the meeting, the first of its kind in nearly three decades, as ‘positive’, Kazemi Qomi told US ambassador Ryan Crocker that the Iraqi army was not receiving the weapons it needed.

Crocker, for his part, reiterated US accusations that the Iranians were funneling weapons and sophisticated explosives to Iraq’s militias.

Kazemi Qomi also said there was a proposal to form a trilateral security commission with the United States and Iraq to help address the country’s security problems.

‘The negotiations today were an important first step between the two sides,’ he told reporters. ‘The Iraqi government said it will invite the two sides to resume negotiations and we received this proposal positively.’

Kazemi Qomi, however, added that he would have to consult with Teheran first, and one of his assistants said no date had been set for the follow-up meeting. ‘If it is possible, it will happen,’ the assistant said.

Crocker earlier dismissed the idea of a tripartite US-Iran-Iraq commission and pointed out that further meetings were not necessarily the solution to Iraq’s continuing crisis.