Iran wants apology from U.S.

TEHRAN — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on the United States and its allies Saturday to apologize for accusing Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, a day after the U.N. nuclear watchdog released its latest report on the country.

Ahmadinejad said the International Atomic Energy Agency report vindicated Iran, and he warned that his government would take unspecified “decisive reciprocal measures” against any country that imposed additional sanctions against Tehran.

The report said many questions about the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program had been resolved, but it highlighted Iran’s continued refusal to halt uranium enrichment.

Ahmadinejad said in a televised address that the best way for the U.S. and its allies to “compensate for their mistakes” was to “apologize and pay compensation.”

“If they continue” pursuing sanctions, he said, “we have definitely drawn up reciprocal measures.”

Iran is already under two sets of United Nations Security Council sanctions for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment, technology that can produce fuel for nuclear reactors and potentially the fissile material for a bomb. Tehran says its program is intended to produce only energy.

The five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany have agreed on a draft resolution for a third round of sanctions.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday that “there is very good reason after this report to proceed to the third Security Council resolution.”