TOKYO, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Kikuo Iwata said on Friday that the central bank is ready to take additional monetary policy steps if overseas risks threaten the achievement of its 2 percent inflation target.

"We are ready to consider new measures if we think it will be impossible to achieve 2 percent inflation," Iwata said at an university symposium in Tokyo.

The BOJ offered an intense burst of monetary stimulus in April, pledging to double base money via aggressive asset purchases to meet its 2 percent inflation target in roughly two years. It has stood pat on monetary policy since then.