Iran calls on U.S. to leave Iraq on eve of Egypt meet

TEHRAN (Reuters) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on Wednesday on U.S. and other foreign forces to leave neighbouring Iraq, reiterating an Iranian demand on the eve of an international meeting to discuss the violence there.

"Withdraw from Iraq and recognise the government, parliament and the constitutional law ... and the problem will be solved," Ahmadinejad told a provincial rally without directly referring to the United States or other countries.

He was speaking a day before a May 3-4 meeting in Egypt of Iraq's neighbours and major powers including the United States that will seek ways to end violence that is threatening to tear Iraq apart.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are both expected to attend the conference in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Tehran and Washington are sharply at odds over the situation in Iraq and also over Iran's nuclear programme.

Iran denies U.S. accusations it is meddling in Iraq and blames the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 for the bloodshed.