WASHINGTON - Former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami on Thursday said Iran could discuss suspending its nuclear program once talks with the West had begun.

Former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami pauses while addressing a news conference at the National Cathedral in Washington September 7, 2006. [Reuters]

Speaking at the Washington National Cathedral during an unprecedented visit to the U.S. capital, Khatami appeared to warn the United States against using force against Iran, saying this would never resolve the standoff over Iran's suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons.

"We are in search of solutions. During the course of negotiations we could even talk about suspensions, the nature of suspensions, the timing of suspensions and the durations of suspensions," Khatami, who was president of Iran from 1997 to 2005, said at a news conference through an interpreter.

"I believe that the best recourse (is) to talk and to negotiate over these issues," he said. "I believe ... the use of force, and the threat of use of force, and language of threat has never produced a resolution to this conflict and (such) conflicts."

The U.N. Security Council demanded that Iran suspend its nuclear enrichment activities by August 31 and threatened to move toward sanctions if it failed to comply. Iran, which says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, has so far refused to do so.