Iran to attend Afghan meet

Iran said yesterday it would attend a UN conference on the future of Afghanistan which was proposed by Teheran's old foe the United States and called for a regional solution to the "crisis".

But Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said Iran had yet to decide who to send to next Tuesday's international meeting in The Hague, which will be attended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and delegates from more than 80 countries.

News of Iran's participation is likely to be welcomed by the new US administration of President Barack Obama, who has offered a "new beginning" of diplomatic engagement with the Islamic Republic on a range of issues.