LONDON (AP) – President Bush is considering joining European leaders in offering economic incentives to Iran in exchange for abandoning its nuclear fuel program, but he has no timetable for a decision, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday.

The Bush administration has opposed any rewards for Tehran’s cooperation. During the president’s trip overseas last week, European leaders urged him to join them in offering incentives such as possible membership at some time for Iran in the World Trade Organization.

Their argument was that a united front would be more effective than a continuing U.S.-Europe split over how to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions.

“The president is considering what he heard in Europe and looking at what he thinks might be necessary to support European diplomacy, but he hasn’t made any decisions,” Rice said.

“He’s really reviewing and looking back on the conversations,” the secretary said en route to London for meetings with newly elected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and representatives of European and Arab countries.

“There isn’t a timeline. The president is considering what he heard; I assume I’m going to have further discussions while I’m here,” she added.

A British official said Monday that Britain, France and Germany have discussed supplying Iran with commercial aircraft and aircraft spare parts as incentives, in addition to membership in the WTO.

The issue of Iran came up repeatedly during Bush’s five-day trip to Europe, including during separate meetings between the president and French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The tactics of incentives – offering a carrot to Tehran now as well as pledging to use a stick later if necessary – had been flatly rejected by the administration ahead of the European trip.

Bush in the past has said that Tehran should not be rewarded for violating terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which bars Iran from enriching spent nuclear fuel to make it suitable for nuclear weapons. Bush also has protested Iran’s support of militant groups in Israel such as Hezbollah.

But as his trip progressed, Bush seemed to exhibit more flexibility on the topic of incentives.

“We are considering, the president is considering, what options he might have to support the European efforts to get the Iranians to live up to their international obligations and to not seek a nuclear weapon under cover of a civilian nuclear program,” Rice said.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in Washington that Bush met with members of his national security team on Friday, right after his return from Europe, to discuss the European proposals on incentives.

The spokesman said the president supported diplomatic efforts by European allies. European leaders have urged the United States to join the talks.

“The question of us sitting with Iran is not necessarily something that’s going to contribute to moving this process forward,” said a State Department spokesman, Adam Ereli.

Meanwhile, the administration has decided not to press the U.N. nuclear agency to refer Iran’s program to the Security Council, where economic penalties could be considered.

Also Monday, McClellan repeated U.S. concerns about a nuclear fuel agreement between Iran and Russia that is designed to help Iran fire up its first nuclear reactor by mid-2006. The deal was signed Sunday.

Iran insists its nuclear program is strictly designed to produce electrical power, not weapons.

AP-ES-02-28-05 1644EST