We present an iterative distributed version of Han's parallel method for convex optimization that can be used for distributed model predictive control (DMPC) of industrial processes described by dynamically coupled linear systems. The underlying decomposition technique relies on Fenchel's duality and allows subproblems to be solved using local communications only. We investigate two techniques aimed at improving the convergence rate of the iterative approach and illustrate the results using a numerical example. We conclude by discussing open issues of the proposed method and by providing an outlook on research in the field. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.