contacts between the US and Iran would be useful

The top US naval commander in the Middle East says contacts between the US and Iranian navies would be useful once Tehran stopped sponsoring violence inside Iraq.

Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, commander of the US Fifth Fleet, made his comments as Barack Obama and John McCain, the presumptive Democratic and Republican candidates for president, spar aggressively over whether the US should engage with Tehran.

In an interview, Adm Cosgriff told the FT that the US and Soviet navies had benefited from contacts during the Cold War. Asked whether similar contacts between the US and Iran navies would be useful, he said: “I think they would”.

Robert Gates, defence secretary, has recently adopted a less rigid tone on talks with Iran than either the White House or Mr McCain. He recently advocated opening new channels between the countries, though he added that the US should try to gain more leverage before holding talks with Tehran.