Clinton: U.S. has not dropped demands on Iran nuke program

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday the United States welcomes dialogue with Iran but has not dropped or added any conditions on a nuclear deal with Tehran.

"We welcome dialogue. We've been saying that we are looking to have an engagement with Iran but we haven't seen anything that would amount to any kind of proposal at all," she said, adding that European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana had not yet received a response to an invitation for Iran to find a diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue.

Clinton made it clear that the United States had not dropped any demands that Iran halt uranium enrichment. "We have not dropped or added any conditions," she said.

The U.S. would be willing to consider any proposal presented by Iran as long as it addresses international concerns about the Islamic state's nuclear activities, the State Department said Wednesday.

"We've said we're willing to have a direct dialogue with Iran," spokesman Robert Wood said. "And if they come up with some new package with regard to their nuclear program, we'll have to take a look and see what it is."

Clinton met with Solana in Washington on Wednesday, hours after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he was open to exploring ways to improve relations with the United States.

Ahmadinejad also said Iran would be presenting a new proposal as a starting point for negotiations with the United States, four other permanent members of the Security Council - China, Britain, France and Russia - plus Germany. Solana, who leads the talks, has invited to another round of dialogue but said at the meeting with Clinton he has not received a reply.

The United States and its partners suspect Iran is seeking a nuclear weapons capability, while Iran maintains the program is purely for producing energy. Clinton said Ahmadinejad's remarks would be a subject during the meeting with her EU counterpart.

Ahmadinejad said, however, Iran will not suspend uranium enrichment, which has been the subject of three Security Council resolutions.

President Barack Obama is open to holding dialogue with Iran, and according to The New York Times, would be willing to engage Iran directly without demanding that Tehran first suspend uranium enrichment - a key break with the Bush administration.

The New York Times reported Tuesday the Obama administration would consider holding talks with Iran with the objective of persuading Tehran to suspend enriching uranium. Wood said US policy toward Iran was still under review but that "suspension is our goal."

Ahmadinejad also said Iran was willing to forget the past and build a new relationship with the United States, a conciliatory tone not usually heard in his speeches.

"Today we are preparing a new package. Once it becomes ready, we will present that package (to you)," he told a crowd of thousands in Kerman, southeastern Iran. "It is a package that constitutes peace and justice throughout the globe and also respects other nations' rights."

Ahmadinejad made the comment a day after the Obama administration said its immediate goal is to get Iran back to the negotiating table. Though the U.S. government declined to publicly discuss possible new strategies for dealing with Tehran on the nuclear issue, one senior official said they could involve allowing Iran to continue enriching uranium at its current level for some time.

That would be a departure from the long-standing demand of the former Bush administration that Iran halt uranium enrichment as a condition for any direct talks between the two foes.

"The Iranian nation is a generous nation. It may forget the past and start a new era, but any country speaking on the basis of selfishness will get the same response the Iranian nation gave to Mr. Bush," Ahmadinejad said.

He said circumstances have changed - an apparent reference to Obama's election and Iran's own progress in its nuclear program since talks with the world powers last year.

He said Iran welcomes dialogue with the world powers provided that it is based on justice and respect, suggesting the West should not try to force it to halt its uranium enrichment program. He was responding to the U.S., Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia whose representatives said last week that they will invite Iran for new talks over its nuclear program.

Ahmadinejad boasted that Iran's resistance and progress in nuclear technology has forced Washington to retreat from its position.

"You know well that today you are suffering from weaknesses. You have no choice. You can't make any progress through bullying policies. I advise you to change and correct your tone and respect other nations' rights," he said.

Uranium enrichment can be used to produce fuel for both energy or nuclear weapons. The U.S. and some of its allies accuse Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons. But Tehran denies the charges, saying its nuclear program is geared toward generating electricity.