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WASHINGTON, Wednesday (Reuters) Undersecretary of State John Bolton said the United States would act decisively to impede any transfers of nuclear and missile technology to Iran.

In prepared remarks for a speech at a security conference, Bolton also reaffirmed a U.S. pledge to provide North Korea with a written security assurance. But this can only happen if the North agreed to "an effective verification regime" that assured Washington it would not reconstitute its nuclear program, he said.

"For our part, the United States will continue its efforts to prevent the transfer of sensitive nuclear and ballistic missile technology to Iran, from whatever source, and will monitor the situation there with great care," he said.

The tough talk come as the United States is involved in separate efforts to persuade both Iran and North Korea to abandon their nuclear weapons ambitions.

Faced with concerted international pressure, Iran agreed last month to allow snap inspections of its nuclear sites and suspend uranium enrichment, which can be used to make fuel for bombs. But a top Iranian official said on Sunday that Iran has no intention of scrapping its disputed enrichment program.

Bolton, who often takes a tough stance on weapons proliferation for the Bush administration, also asserted that, "we are determined that bad behavior on the part of North Korea will not be rewarded."

"North Korea will not be given inducements to reverse actions it took in violation of its treaty commitments and other international obligations," he said.

Meanwhile planning for six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program has hit a snag and the talks may not take place until January or February instead of December as expected, U.S. officials said.

The officials told Reuters that one main obstacle is North Korea's reluctance to agree to a U.S. demand for an "effective and irreversible verification regime," which experts have said would open the N.Korea up to unprecedented intrusive inspections.

U.S. officials said the United States and other countries involved in the planning - China, Russia, South Korea and Japan - are trying to agree in advance on a statement that would be issued at the conclusion of a second round.

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