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Iraq has accused Iran of seizing control of a disputed oilfield along the border between the two countries.

Eleven Iranian soldiers took control of a well at the Fauqa oilfield in Maysan province, about 300km southeast of Baghdad, Ahmed Ali al-Khafaji, Iraq's deputy interior minster, said on Friday.

"At 3:30 this afternoon, 11 Iranian [soldiers] infiltrated the Iran-Iraq border and took control of the oil well. They raised the Iranian flag, and they are still there until this moment," he told the Reuters news agency.

There was no immediate comment on the alleged incident from Tehran.

Khafaji said Baghdad had taken no military action against the Iranian troops and would seek a measured, diplomatic response to the situation.

"We are awaiting orders from our leader," he said.

"This well is located on Iraqi land, 300 metres inside Iraq. It is disputed between Iran and Iraq. There was an agreement between the two countries' oil ministers to fix this problem diplomatically."

It was not clear whether the Iranian troops were believed to still be at the oilfield.

Emergency meeting

Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, held an emergency meeting of the national security council on Friday to discuss the situation.

"The Iraqi president called for an emergency session to discuss wha... >>>