US brushes off Iran pessimism on talks

WASHINGTON, June 27 (Reuters) The White House today said it did not view skepticism from Iran's supreme leader as the final word on a US offer to join direct talks with Iran if it agrees to halt sensitive nuclear activity.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted on Iranian state television as saying that Iran would not benefit from discussions with the United States.

Washington's offer to participate in the European Union's talks with Iran was offered as part of a package aimed at persuading the country to stop nuclear enrichment work.

The offer was seen as a major policy change for the United States, which has not had diplomatic ties with Tehran since 1980.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said the Bush administration expects the official reaction to be delivered to the United States through EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana from Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani.

''The position has always been the same, which is when Mr.

Larijani communicates with Javier Solana, that is how we expect to have an answer to the proposal,'' Snow said. He added that there is a pattern of ''differing voices coming out of Iran.'' REUTERS HS RAI2042