BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq told the United States and [tag]Iran to settle their scores elsewhere[/tag], while the US military confirmed it had searched Sudan’s embassy in Baghdad as part of an anti-insurgent operation.

“We demand that all respect Iraq’s sovereignty. We don’t want to be a party to any strife aimed at settling scores,” Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told a Baghdad news conference.

In a veiled reference to Tehran, he said: “We want others to respect the presence of the multi-national forces, US and British forces, because they are here as a result of an Iraqi government decision.”

US officials have cranked up pressure on Tehran recently, accusing it of aiding Shiite militias in Iraq and providing sophisticated weapons used by insurgents to target coalition forces.

But Dabbagh, whose Shiite-dominated government maintains close relations with Tehran, stressed that “we want to preserve ties with our dear neighbour Iran. And we want to develop this relationship based on non-interference.”

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