Iran has strongly criticized U.S. policy in Iraq, blaming the American presence there for sectarian violence.

Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki was speaking in Egypt on the second day of a summit of world and regional powers, called to discuss Iraq's security.

The summit, now over, had been expected to see the first high-level U.S.-Iran talks in almost three decades.

Those hopes were dashed, although ambassadors from the U.S. and Iran did hold a face-to-face meeting.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari described the meeting - the second lower-level meeting in three months - as "a positive sign".

But BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the meeting will be remembered more for what did not happen, rather than for what did.

Concern for the situation in Iraq but little real action seems to be a fair initial verdict, he says, adding that national reconciliation is, above all else, a job for the Iraqis themselves.

Accept responsibility

Iraq 's neighbors, including Iran and Syria, had joined ministers from the G8 nations and the EU at the conference in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Mottaki said the U.S. should issue a clear troop-withdrawal plan to return stability to Iraq.

"The continuation of, and increase in, terrorist acts in Iraq originates from the flawed approaches adopted by the foreign troops," he said. "The United States must accept the responsibilities arising from the occupation of Iraq, and should not finger point or put the blame on others."

Mottaki also called for the immediate release of five Iranians detained in northern Iraq by U.S. troops in January.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki called for neighboring countries to stop funding terrorists and to block their entry into the country.

"We will not allow terrorist organizations to use Iraqi territory as a safe haven," Maliki said.