The timing could hardly be coincidence: Iran's President Ahmadinejad has sent a letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, just as the regime in Tehran has finally indicated when it will respond to the West's package of incentives meant to discourage the Iranians from pursuing their nuclear program.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki handed over the letter to the German embassy in Tehran and it is now in the chancellor's office where it is being carefully evaluated. The contents of the letter have not yet been revealed.

However, the correspondence from Tehran comes just as the mullahs have said they will respond to the West by Aug. 22. Iran's Supreme National Security Council also said it would reconsider its nuclear policies if sanctions were imposed by the UN Security Council. "In case the path of confrontation is chosen instead of the path of dialogue … and Iran's definite rights are threatened, then there will be no option for Iran but to reconsider its nuclear policies."

Germany belongs to the so-called EU3 -- along with Great Britain and France -- a diplomatic grouping which has been making efforts for years to find a solution to the dispute with Iran over its nuclear ambitions. Ahmadinejad said back in April that he intended to send messages to Western leaders, and the first recipient was US President George W. Bush .

The West has voiced its concern over Iran's nuclear program as it fears that the country's mullah regime is enriching uranium for use in the production of nuclear weapons. Tehran, however, insists that it only intends to develop nuclear fuel for power plants.

The package of incentives, which the Western nations presented to Iran on June 6, included the transfer of advanced technology and the possibility of nuclear research reactors in return for suspending its enrichment program. However, last week the lack of any concrete response prompted the five UN veto powers and Germany to refer Iran back to the Security Council for possible sanctions. During informal talks in New York on Wednesday, the council was unable to agree on a draft resolution. China and Russia in particular have been hesitant to impose sanctions on Iran.

After the meeting, Russia's ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said the Security Council wants an answer sometime soon but he stressed that the council is not trying to push Tehran. According to the US Ambassador John Bolton, Tehran should be forced to abandon uranium enrichment. However, there is a lack of agreement on whether to include a reference to Chapter 7 of the UN Charter in any resolution, as this could lead to harsh sanctions and the use of force as a last resort.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council said that special committees were still studying the package and invited the US and its allies to return to the negotiating table. It said it was "surprising" that the US was creating "obstacles" in the way of a negotiated settlement. "Iran is not after tension but if others push things toward tension and create problems, then all will face problems. Iran believes dialogue is the most logical solution."