By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior U.S. official says American and Iranian diplomats have discussed developments in Iraq on the sidelines of multination nuclear talks in Austria.

The official said the brief encounter took place Monday in Vienna and was expected to set the stage for additional contacts between the U.S. and Iran on how Sunni extremists threaten Iraq, the government in Baghdad and all countries in the region.

The official said the talks would not include military discussions but rather would focus on, quote, the “need to support inclusivity in Iraq and refrain from pressing a sectarian agenda.”

The official was not authorized to speak publicly by name on the matter and thus spoke on condition of anonymity.

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