Iraq and Iran Wednesday pledged to strengthen ties and put the past behind them, even as Washington accuses Iran of supplying new and more lethal weapons to anti-U.S. militias.

Iran and Iraq , which fought a 1980-88 war that was one of the bloodiest conflicts of the past century, killing an estimated 1 million people, have drawn closer since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003.

But U.S. officials have expressed concern at the Islamic republic's growing influence in Iraq , which is strategically important to both Tehran and Washington .

"I would like to announce to all Iraqi people that we have forgotten all the pain of the past," Iran 's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi told Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at a ceremony to sign several agreements to boost cooperation in culture, technology, science, communication, health and tariffs.

"All of what Iranians love exists in Iraq ," Rahimi said, referring to the most revered shrines of Shiite Islam in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala , where Iranian pilgrims throng, braving the bombings which rock Iraq each day.

"We are ready to stand beside Iraq and build this country, to provide security," Rahimi said. "We came to announce our full support to Maliki's government."

Maliki owes his premiership in large part to Tehran . It was Shiite Iran that pressured its powerful Shiite proxies to throw their weight behind Maliki, after an inconclusive March 2010 election which he lost by a single vote.

Maliki formed a unity government in December, after a powerful Shiite alliance announced its backing.

"We would like to thank the Iranian side for this initiative and this visit, which confirms the desire of both Iraq and Iran to improve relations," the premier told his guest.

Maliki said that relations between the two Muslim neighbours should be improved even more, inviting all Iranian companies and businessmen to Iraq with open arms.

"We invite all Iranian companies who want to invest to come," said the prime minister. "The invitation is open for all businessmen in the private sector."

Last week, Iraq signed a $365 million contract for Iran to build a pipeline to supply natural gas to power stations in Baghdad .

In his comments, Rahimi noted that the room where they were standing--inside the Republican Palace of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein and his Sunni-dominated regime--was where the battles against Iran were planned during the war.

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