"This invitation has been accepted and the preparation is underway. When the trip becomes definite we will make an announcement."
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said. The Iraqi Prime Minister Nurial-Maliki has invited Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after he visited Tehran earlier this month, the ISNA student news agency reported. It will be his first visit to Iraq, the highest level trip by an Iranian leader since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

"Bar any major change in direction by Dean I think all the oil infrastructure (in the US Gulf Coast) will remain unaffected."
A trader said Monday. Hurricane Dean was moving west and would strike the Mexican Gulf Coast well south of the US' key oil producing and refining region according to the US National Hurricane Center in its latest bulletin, at 2:00 am EDT (06:00 GMT). Last week crude prices rose as there were fears that the hurricane would disrupt oil production in the US Gulf Coast.

Updated: August 20, 2007