Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says it is too late for his country to stop its nuclear program.
Speaking in Tehran Tuesday, Mr. Ahmadinejad warned the United Nations Security Council against imposing more sanctions on Iran, which he called child's play.
But a U.S. State Department spokesman called Mr. Ahmadinejad's statement "ridiculous." He said it is not too late for Iran to stop uranium enrichment and hold talks on its nuclear program.
The Security Council is preparing to debate a third set of sanctions on Iran for its refusal to stop uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to make nuclear weapons or as fuel to generate energy.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier met Tuesday with Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani. Details of the meeting were not immediately available.
Their talks in Berlin came one day before world leaders begin a Group of Eight summit in Germany.
Last week, Larijani met with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana. Those talks did not produce any breakthrough in the standoff, and the two men agreed to meet again in two weeks.
The United States and its allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran says its program is for peaceful, civilian uses.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
