Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (file photo)

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the state of affairs in the modern world is "disappointing," and that Iran has some ideas about how to better manage world problems.

Speaking with Iranian reporters after he arrived in New York Tuesday for the United Nations General Assembly, the Iranian president said the current international atmosphere is filled with threats, tension, and hostility.

Mr. Ahamadinejad said the Security Council's stance on Iran's nuclear enrichment program is another example of what he called an illogical approach to world affairs.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, also in New York for the General Assembly, told American television networks Tuesday that the world community risks losing its credibility if it does not impose sanctions on Iran.

She said the U.S. is prepared to meet Iranian officials for the first time in decades once Iran suspends its enrichment activities.

Iran has ignored a U.N. Security Council deadline of August 31 to stop its work on uranium enrichment, which experts believe is intended to develop nuclear weapons.

Several members of the Security Council say they are reluctant to impose sanctions on Iran at this time.  European leaders favor giving negotiations another chance.

China and Russia have been reluctant to punish Iran for its nuclear activities.

On Sunday, Israel's foreign minister Tzipi Livni said Iran is just months away from mastering the nuclear enrichment process necessary for building an atomic bomb.

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.