Iran's newly sworn-in President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says European incentives aimed at persuading Iran to end its nuclear fuel program are an insult to the Iranian nation.
But Iran's Student News Agency says the president told U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan during a phone call that he will offer new proposals to end the stand-off after he forms a cabinet.
Mr. Ahmadinejad's reported comments came Tuesday, as the International Atomic Energy Agency ended the first of two days of emergency talks in Vienna. The talks were called to counter Iran's resumption of low-level uranium conversion operations on Monday.
With U.S. backing, the European Union has threatened to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council, which could impose sanctions if it finds Tehran has violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty.
President Bush said today he remains deeply suspicious of Iran's nuclear ambitions. But he called the Iranian president's willingness to offer new proposals a positive development.
