A high-level Iranian delegation arrived in North Korea on Thursday, North Korean media reported, as the two hard-line regimes face international pressure to give up their nuclear weapons programs.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry delegation, led by Vice Minister Mahdi Safari, arrived in Pyongyang, the Korean Central News Agency reported in a one-sentence dispatch without giving further details.

North Korea and Iran - both labeled part of the "axis of evil" along with prewar Iraq by U.S. President George W. Bush - are under growing international pressure to give up pursuit of nuclear programs.

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Although North Korea's publicly acknowledged nuclear weapons program uses plutonium, Iran's is based on uranium.

The North claims it needs nuclear weapons as a deterrent against alleged U.S. attempts to overthrow the communist regime. Pyongyang conducted its first-ever nuclear test in October 2006.

Tehran claims it has the right to develop nuclear capabilities for power generation, but denies allegations by the West that it is trying to develop nuclear weapons.


Ahmadinejad says Iran is ready for any possibility in standoff with West
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that Iran was prepared for any possibility in the standoff with the West over its controversial nuclear activities - a tough reaction to a United States military buildup in the Gulf meant as a warning to Iran.

"Today, with the grace of God, we have gone through the arduous passes and we are ready for anything in this path," state-run television quoted Ahmadinejad as saying Thursday.

Ahmadinejad also denounced critics of his nuclear diplomacy at home, saying that they will not affect his government's handling of the nuclear issue with the West.

Conservatives and reformists have in recent weeks openly challenged Ahmadinejad's hard-line nuclear diplomacy tactics, with many saying his provocative remarks are doing more harm than good.

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency on Thursday said he was concerned that UN sanctions on Iran could escalate the standoff with Western powers over its nuclear program.

Mohamed ElBaradei, speaking in Paris, called for a resumption of negotiations with Tehran. Asked about the possibility of France sending an envoy for discussions, he said, "I would support any effort by any side to engage Iran."

"My worry right now is that each side is sticking to its guns," said ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We need someone to reach out."

ElBaradei, who was to meet later Thursday with France's foreign minister, said he disagreed with the idea that dialogue should be used to reward Iran for good behavior.

He said he was concerned about the way in which the crisis might develop following the UN Security Council's imposition of limited sanctions in December.

"Sanctions in my view could lead to escalation on both sides," he said.

France says it is mulling the possibility of sending an envoy to Tehran for discussions that would focus on Middle East peace, Lebanon and other regional issues rather than the specific question of Iran's nuclear program.

But officials at the French presidential palace and the Foreign Ministry insist that a decision on whether to send an envoy has not been made and that Iran must first show willingness to negotiate.

The UN imposed sanctions to punish Iran for defying a resolution demanding that it suspend uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to make nuclear energy or weapons. Iran insists it only wants energy, while Western powers suspect it of seeking nuclear arms.