Tuesday, September 19 2006 18:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: "The United States wants a 'verifiable suspension' of Iran's enrichment programme and then it would be prepared to join the negotiations, President George Bush's national security adviser," Stephen Hadley said.

Hadley spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One as Bush was en route to New York to attend the UN General Assembly session, where he is expected to focus on spreading freedom in the Middle East.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was also expected to meet with her counterparts to discuss a possible UN Security Council resolution that would include sanctions on Iran for not complying with international demands to come clean about its nuclear programme.

The US along with the other four permanent members of the Security Council Britain, China, France and Russia - plus Germany has offered Iran a package of incentives to encourage compliance, but Iran has only responded by calling for more discussion not halting uranium enrichment.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is due to address the UN assembly Tuesday evening and has aggressively defended his country's right to enrich uranium to produce electricity. But the US and its European partners suspect Iran is also seeking nuclear weapons - a charge Iran denies.