Irans Nuclear Program Should Play No Part in Iraq Talks

US and Iran ready for Iraq talks

The US says it has authorised its envoy in Baghdad to hold talks with Iranian
officials about the situation in Iraq.

[...]

The White House says Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad can talk about Iraq, but not about Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Old news, right? Let's talk about it anyway.

Iran wants to talk about its nuclear program and Iraq at one sitting, while the U.S. doesn't. Iran wants to use its nuclear program to protect its interests in Iraq. Stratfor sums it up nicely:

Stratfor has extensively discussed the nexus between Iran's nuclear agenda and its blueprint for Iraq. Iran is trying to link the nuclear issue to its dealings with the United States on Iraq as a sort of insurance policy. Iran does not want to reach an agreement on Iraq and then leave the nuclear issue to be dealt with down the road, when the United States is in a stronger position to take action against Tehran.

It is essential that the U.S. leave the nuclear issue out of Iraq talks. "Never negotiate from a position of weakness."