White House prepared to meet one-on-one with Iran

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House says it is prepared to talk one-on-one with Iran to find a diplomatic settlement to the impasse over Tehran's reported pursuit of nuclear weapons, but there's no agreement now to meet.

National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor says President Barack Obama has made clear that he will prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and will do whatever's necessary to prevent that from happening. Vietor says the onus is on Iran to abandon its campaign or it will face more sanctions and increased pressure.

Iran has been a recurring issue in the presidential election. The New York Times reported that the U.S. and Iran have agreed for the first time to negotiations. The paper said Iran has insisted the talks wait until after the Nov. 6 election.