Ali Larijani: "Iran sees problems in atomic offer from six powers"

According to Reuters information agency, chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said the package offered to Iran last week, which includes both incentives and penalties, contained "problems". In previous comments, he had only referred to "ambiguities" that needed removing.

Details of the package have not been publicly announced and Iran has yet to identify specific items to which it objects, but the deal is premised on the demand Iran abandons uranium enrichment, a step Tehran has previously said was unacceptable.

Iran, the world's fourth largest oil exporter, insists it only wants to enrich uranium to low levels to make fuel for power plants. The West accuses Iran of seeking to purify uranium to the much higher levels needed to make atomic bombs.

"These proposals contain some positive points. At the same time there are problems and ambiguous points," said Larijani, speaking through an Arabic translator after talks at the Arab League in Cairo.

Larijani, who heads Iran's Supreme National Security Council that has been entrusted with handling nuclear talks, said no deadline had been set for Iran to accept the package.

"It was said that Iran was given a limited time period to agree ... This is incorrect," he said.

/www.reuters.com/