Blasts outside Iraqi Foreign Ministry as US top official visits

Two blasts occurred outside Iraq's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday as visiting US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte was due to hold a press conference in the Green Zone compound, al-Jazeera satellite channel reported.

The Foreign Ministry building is adjacent to the fortified Green Zone government and diplomatic compound.

Journalists were gathering for a news conference to be given by Negroponte and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari when the blasts took place, al-Jazeera reported.