Republican presidential candidate John McCain touts his foreign policy expertise at every turn, but he has given Democrats ammunition against his experience by wrongly saying Iran trains Al Qaeda members.

During an official visit in Jordan on Tuesday, the 71-year-old said members of Al Qaeda in Iraq were slipping into neighbouring Iran and receiving training before returning to the war-torn country to wreak havoc.

But while President George W Bush's administration has accused Shiite-majority Iran of training and arming Shiite extremists, it has never made the link with Al Qaeda in Iraq, which is a Sunni group.

Senator McCain made the gaffe right in the middle of an official visit in the Middle East that was supposed to highlight his knowledge in foreign affairs.

"It's common knowledge and has been reported in the media that Al Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq. That's well known," the Vietnam war veteran said.