Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, pictured in February 2007, has been elected as the new chairman of Iran's Assembly of Experts, which supervises the work of the supreme leader, after the death of the previous incumbent. (AFP File Photo)
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    WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United States called on Tuesday for talks with Iran after former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was elected as new chief of Iran's powerful Assembly of Experts.

    "We would hope that reasonable individuals in Iran would see the positive opportunity given to it by the international community to enter negotiations and be able to achieve a peaceful nuclear program while still reassuring everyone else that it is not simply a cover for building a nuclear weapon," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey told reporters.

    "I'd like to believe that there are individuals in the Iranian leadership that would want to take what is in effect a rather unique and important opportunity, to allow Iran to engage with the rest of the international community," Casey said.

    Rafsanjani has been considered as a moderate leader of Iran as compared with the current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

    The United States and Iran have held two rounds of ambassador-level talks on Iraqi security since May 28.

    U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, who had talks with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Kazemi Qomi in July as "difficult discussions."

    The United States has accused Iran of fueling violence in Iraq and supporting militants there. But Tehran always denies the allegations.

    Washington has no diplomatic relations with Tehran since April 1980, five months after Iranian students occupied the American embassy in Tehran. Fifty-two Americans were held hostage for 444 days.

    Iran chooses former president as new head of top clerical body

    TEHRAN, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chairman of the Expediency Council and former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was elected on Tuesday as new chief of Iran's powerful Assembly of Experts, which could choose or dismiss the country's supreme leader, state-run media reported.

    The post of chairman of this top clerical body has been vacant since its former chief Ayatollah Ali Meshkini, who headed it for the past 27 years, died in the end of July.

    Iran warns U.S. not to launch military attack

    TEHRAN, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian top official warned the United States on Tuesday to beware of the possible results if it launch a military action against the Islamic Republic, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.

    If the United States attacks Iran, they may face three problems: they can not predict "the volume of our response"; they don't know what would happen to Israel and Washington will not know what will the oil flow look like at that time, General Rahim Yahya Safavi was quoted as saying.