On Monday, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said in Brussels that the European Union was preparing a "bold package, that will contain issues relating to nuclear, economic matters and maybe, if necessary, security matters". But Mr McCormack said the US was not considering offering assurances over security. "I'll let others speak for themselves," Mr McCormack said.

"But from the United States, that's not on the table." He recalled President George W. Bush's oft-repeated position that no option is off the table, including the military option.

Pursuing a diplomatic effort, European nations want to offer Iran security guarantees as a key incentive to freeze its uranium enrichment program, but U.S. officials say Tehran can expect no non-aggression pledge from Washington.

Iran insists its nuclear program is only to generate electricity for civilian use. But Western countries believe Tehran is seeking a military nuclear capacity as well.

"Those who get sad at the progress and happiness of others are suffering from mental and psychological problems, so they should find a way to cure themselves," the student news agency ISNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying in a speech.

Since his election last year, the president has frequently needled critics of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, raising tensions with the United States and the European Union.

"We do not have a fight with anyone, but we will not step back on our absolute rights," declared Ahmadinejad, who on Wednesday rejected an expected EU incentive package as an attempt to persuade Tehran to accept "candy for gold."

Annan urged those involved in negotiations over Iran's nuclear crisis to moderate their language.

"There is also a need to lower the temperature, and refrain from actions and rhetoric that could further inflame the situation," he said in a speech to Tokyo university students.

Britain, France and Germany plan to offer Iran a package expected to include a European light-water reactor and some form of security assurances in return for a halt to enrichment.

The EU trio will discuss their proposal with senior U.S., Russian and Chinese officials in London next week.

EU officials say security guarantees are the major sticking point affecting their ability to produce a credible package.

The latest reports come amid a deadlock in six-party talks aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear programs, and ahead of a visit to China next week by the chief U.S. negotiator to the talks that involve the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and host China.

North Korea has said in numerous official media reports that it is building a nuclear deterrent to counter U.S. hostility. The United States believes that North Korea has one or two nuclear bombs and the ability to build more.

U.S. officials said on Thursday that Washington was open to discussions with North Korea on a peace treaty at the same time as the six-party nuclear talks, but that it must come back to the negotiating table first.

North Korea has long demanded a peace treaty to replace the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean war.

Some experts detected in the U.S. stance at least a slight change in emphasis designed to entice Pyongyang back to the table and keep Asian allies from blaming Washington for the moribund diplomacy.

NHK said the missile appeared to be a Taepodong-2, which previous reports have said has a range of more than 6,700 km (4,200 miles), making it capable of hitting Alaska with a light payload.

Quoting Japanese government sources, Japan's Kyodo news agency also said that a launch could be imminent and that the missile was probably a Taepodong-2.

LM is a principal teammate on the SERV program to Northrop Grumman, the ICBM prime integration contractor for the U.S. Air Force. LM Space Systems, the principal designer and manufacturer of Minuteman III reentry systems since the 1960s, has designed and developed all of the flight hardware and ground support equipment associated with the SERV program.

LM Space Systems will provide the Electronic Command Signal Generator component and associated cabling that interface between the guidance and control system of the Minuteman III missile and the reentry vehicles. The company also will provide the flight hardware for attachment of the reentry vehicles to the missile.

LM's Valley Forge facility produces the Electronic Command Signal Generator, cables, attachment hardware and a complete suite of ground support equipment, as well as associated engineering and logistics support.

With SERV, the Minuteman III is now capable of carrying single Mark 21 reentry vehicles that became available from the recently decommissioned Peacekeeper ICBM missile force. The Mark 21 is a newer design with enhanced safety features.

"The same commitment that has led to success on the earlier phases of the SERV program will help assure a reliable ICBM force through full-rate production and beyond," said Les Lyon, LM Space Systems' director of Air Force reentry programs.

"This adds a field-proven command and control component to Vigilant Eagle, offering improved technical maturity to the system," said Mike Booen, vice president of Directed Energy Weapons at Raytheon Missile Systems.

"We have selected an operating command and control system that is successfully used today in both military and urban environments."

The NASAMS FDC has been in military use since 1994 and was recently deployed to protect Washington, D.C., from an airborne attack. In this role, the FDC can track and identify all objects in the capital's airspace, operate with existing civilian systems, discriminate friendly versus hostile objects and recommend appropriate action in the event of an attack.

The U.S. Army's Surface Launched Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (SLAMRAAM) system also under development by Raytheon builds upon proven NASAMS technology so that the SLAMRAAM system is capable of providing the next generation of command and control for Vigilant Eagle.

SLAMRAAM's FDC functionality is highly similar to that required by Vigilant Eagle's C2 subsystem that must identify, discriminate and engage shoulder-fired missile threats.

By leveraging the existing technology of the NASAMS FDC, Raytheon will be able to adapt the Vigilant Eagle system to an urban environment while dramatically reducing the cost.

All Vigilant Eagle's subsystems have successfully been demonstrated as individual components. With the incorporation of NASAMS FDC, Vigilant Eagle is now immediately available for demonstration in an urban environment.

The FDC currently receives radar and tracking information from a grid of civilian and military radars. Addition of the Vigilant Eagle infrared missile detect and track subsystem would prove interoperability in an urban environment and low false alarm rate.

Vigilant Eagle has been proven effective against the MANPADS threat in field testing. It is a ground-based system that protects all aircraft at an airport, with no additional weight, drag or cost added to airliners. Vigilant Eagle is a mature, cost-effective airport protection solution and is ready for a large-scale demonstration or military or commercial sale.