Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami said in Washington yesterday that Iran and the United States should resolve their differences through dialogue.

"Even now I believe that relations between our two respective governments should be resolved through dialogue," Khatami said at a press conference organized by the Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation, a U.S. non-governmental organization.

"Using violence by every side and violent language by every side is not conducive to dialogue and it will increase and exacerbate the problems," Khatami said.

He insisted that up to now, "the IAEA has not find any evidence that Iran has pursued non-peaceful nuclear program."

However, "there are three states in our region that possess nuclear weapons. At least there are 200 nuclear warheads in Israel, and fewer than those exist in India and Pakistan. None of these are members to the NPT, and none of them are under any safeguard, "Khatami said.

"In order to create the weapons of mass destruction-free zone, these states, first of all, should be pursued and forced to join NPT. Then we all have to pursue and create a condition where weapons could be eliminated," he said.

Khatami, who now heads a group called the International Center for Dialogue Among Civilizations, is now on a private visit to the United States. He has visited New York, Chicago, Boston and Charlottesville.

The U.S. State Department has said that during Khatami's stay in the United States, there are no plans for government officials to meet him.