BALI, Indonesia – Iran's president, emboldened by the support of Muslim nations, said Saturday he was willing to hold talks over his nuclear program but not with countries that hold "bombs over our head."
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made the comments after closed-door talks with the heads of state from Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Turkey and Malaysia, and government ministers from Egypt and Bangladesh.
Delegates of the Developing Eight, or D-8, summit released a statement after the meeting saying they support the development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes — giving Iran's hardline leader a much-needed boost.
Ahmadinejad thanked them "for committing themselves to defend the peaceful use and the development of nuclear energy," and assured them that he was willing to hold talks on his nuclear ambitions, but not with "countries that hang planes with bombs over our heads."
"If they want to threaten the use of force we will not go into dialogue with them," he said
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox