US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday that the United States and the international community want an answer from Iran about whether it accepts the package presented to it on how to resolve the nuclear standoff.

"We need an answer, the international community needs an answer so we know if, in fact, the negotiating track is going to bear fruit," Rice said after meeting with visiting Italian Foreign Minister Massino D'Alema.

Rice admitted that there have been some "positive" statements from the Iranian side.

The United States has called on Iran to give a "definite" response on whether it accepts the package presented to it by the six countries including the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

Iran sent out mix messages on Thursday over the nuclear package. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to give up its nuclear program, but President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, while in Shanghai, said Iran was ready to negotiate over the nuclear standoff.

The United States has urged Iran to accept the offer, or the nuclear issue will go to the United Nations Security Council for sanctions on Iran.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2006)