MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says Iran has a role to play in the region that includes neighboring Afghanistan and she hopes it will be constructive.

Clinton told reporters in Monterrey, Mexico, on Thursday that the United States will continue to reach out to Iran, even though earlier efforts were unsuccessful. President Barack Obama's outreach to Iran in a video message recently was rebuffed by Iranian leaders.

Iran has accepted an invitation to a conference on Afghanistan next week at The Hague, Netherlands, that also will be attended by the U.S.

Clinton says there are going to be difficult obstacles to engaging with Iran in the short run, but the U.S. will keep trying.