UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The UN chief on Monday called for more talks on Iran's civilian nuclear program, saying new sanctions against Tehran have not shut the door to a diplomatic resolution of its nuclear standoff with some western powers.

“Even with the Security Council's resolution adopted on other sanctions, the door is still open for a negotiated settlement,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters.
Ban was responding to a question about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's announcement that Iran is ready to resume talks on its civilian nuclear program but wants to delay them for several weeks to punish the arrogant western powers for imposing new sanctions.
Ahmadinejad said Iran would be prepared to return to talks only by the second half of the Muslim festival of Ramadan -- in late August. “It's a punishment to teach them a lesson to know how to have a dialogue with nations,” he said.
Ban said he discussed Iran with top European Union officials on the sidelines of the summit of leaders of the Group of 20 club of big developed and developing nations in Canada.
The United Nations chief called for Iran and the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany to resume negotiations.
“I will continue to urge the leaders of the world, the concerned parties to continue their negotiations for an eventual resolution of this issue,” he said.
Earlier this month the Security Council passed a fourth round of sanctions against Tehran over its civilian nuclear program.
The new UN sanctions against Iran, which received the backing of Tehran's traditional supporters Russia and China, were followed by new rounds of tougher EU and U.S. measures.
Photo: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon speaks at a press conference after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on March 18, 2010. (Getty Images)