Iran is prepared to offer the United States a half share in any future nuclear programme to demonstrate it is not pursuing atomic weapons, a senior Iranian official was quoted on Wednesday as saying. The Financial Times said it was unclear how far the remarks of Hossein Kazempour, Iranian governor to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and an energy adviser to the government, represented the policy of Tehran.
"I am telling you that the Americans can come and have 50-50 (of an Iranian nuclear programme)," Kazempour was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
"This offer is on the table. But they have their suspicions. This could be removed by their presence (in the programme)."
US President George W. Bush has accused Iran of trying to secretly develop nuclear arms. Tehran rejects the charge and says its nuclear programme is solely for electricity generation.
The Financial Times quoted Kazempour as saying Iran was committed to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said Washington must change its policies towards Iran and recognise Tehran as a regional power if relations were to improve.
In a policy shift last week, the United States offered Iran economic incentives to try to persuade it to scrap nuclear work which could be used to make atomic bombs.
Washington said it would drop its opposition to Iran's membership of the World Trade Organisation and the sale of civilian aircraft parts to Tehran as part of a co-ordinated strategy with the European Union.
Iran has dismissed the US offer as insignificant.
Failure to abandon any sensitive nuclear activities would see Iran's case referred to the UN Security Council, which could impose sanctions, US officials say.
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