Yemeni officials said one of those killed was a senior al-Qaeda operative, Saleh Mohammed al-Ameri.

BBC: 'US drone strike' kills al-Qaeda suspects in Yemen

This week Haider al-Ameri, a senior figure in the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a key party in the ruling Shia-led alliance, annoyed Mr Maliki by saying there was little evidence of direct Iranian interference.

ECONOMIST: Iraq, Iran and the United States