Condoleezza Rice is urging Iran to join her at a high-level conference on the future of Iraq next week, signalling that Washington is ready for a serious exchange of views with Tehran after several months of pushing back against Iran's advances in the region.

In an interview with the Financial Times, the US secretary of state said it would be a "missed opportunity" if Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran's foreign minister, did not attend the minister-level meeting to be hosted by Egypt.