Iran 'ready for new conditions' over standoff

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today he was open to what he called new conditions to resolve Tehran's standoff with…

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today he was open to what he called new conditions to resolve Tehran's standoff with the West over its nuclear programme.

"We are partisan to dialogue and negotiation and we believe that we can resolve the problems in a context of dialogue and of justice together," Mr Ahmadinejad told a midnight news conference during a visit to Senegal's capital, Dakar.

"I am announcing that we are available, we are ready for new conditions," he said, without elaborating, before leaving to fly to a Non-Aligned summit in Cuba.

The United States said yesterday Iran was "aggressively" pursuing the development of nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

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Washington said Iran should face sanctions now, but EU allies said it was not too late for a negotiated solution.

Asked whether Iran was willing to suspend uranium enrichment, Mr Ahmadinejad said: "I don't believe there will be sanctions because there is no reason to have sanctions. It would be preferable for the US officials not to speak in anger."