Ahmadinejad says Iran, US not headed for war-CBS

NEW YORK, Sep 23 (Reuters) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a CBS television interview to be broadcast today that Iran did not need nuclear weapons and his country was not heading for war with the United States.

Asked in an interview with CBS's ''60 Minutes'' whether his country's goal was to obtain a nuclear bomb, he said the answer was a ''firm no''.

''You have to appreciate we don't need a nuclear bomb. We don't need that. What need do we have for a bomb?,'' he said, according to a transcript released today.

Asked whether Iran and the United States were heading toward conflict over Tehran's nuclear ambitions, he said: ''It's wrong to think that Iran and the US are walking towards war. Who says so? Why should we go to war? There is no war in the offing.'' REUTERS AB PM0020