Iran and the US are to hold fresh talks on the subject of Iraq, only their second one-on-one meeting in decades.

Their two ambassadors in Baghdad will meet on Tuesday, it was announced.

The US blames Iran for supporting some of those who are attacking US and UK troops in Iraq, while Iran blames the US troop presence for Iraq's troubles.

Officially the talks are only meant to deal with Iraq, but BBC correspondent in Tehran says there is big range of issues each side would like to raise.

For example, the United States is concerned about two Iranian Americans held in Iran, the BBC's Jon Leyne says, while Iran wants the release of five Iranians held in Iraq.

The resistance in Iraq and related sectarian violence cause thousands of deaths every month.

More than 200 US soldiers have been killed by armor piercing bombs which the US says have been manufactured in Iran or using Iranian-imported expertise.

Little emerged from the first round of talks in May between US ambassador Ryan Crocker and Iran's Hassan Kazimi Qomi.

The US broke off relations with Iran in 1980 when Islamic revolutionaries seized the US embassy in Tehran and held diplomats hostage.

Tuesday's meeting will be hosted by the Iraqi government, whose Shia Muslim leaders have close links with Iran.

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Iranians and US ambassadors face each other at bilateral talks in May