U.S.: Iran’s weapons claims isolating regime

Iran Focus: London, Apr. 05 – Iran’s claims that it has developed new sophisticated missiles are isolating the regime and add to reasons why the international community is calling on Tehran to comply with its international obligations over its nuclear activities, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said on Tuesday.
Iran Focus

London, Apr. 05 – Iran’s claims that it has developed new sophisticated missiles are isolating the regime and add to reasons why the international community is calling on Tehran to comply with its international obligations over its nuclear activities, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said on Tuesday.

Iran has put on display what it claims are new stealth missiles, sonar-evading torpedoes, and even a “flying boat” during weeklong naval exercises in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, dubbed “the Great Prophet”.

“I think their aggressive military program and defiant rhetoric are further examples of how the regime is isolating itself and the Iranian people from the rest of the world”, McClellan told reporters.

“It is also a reminder of why the international community is united in its concern about the regime’s possible development of nuclear weapons, and why the international community is calling on Iran to comply with its international obligations, or face further isolation”, he said.

Referring to a “Presidential Statement” adopted unanimously last Wednesday by the United Nations Security Council on Iran’s nuclear activities, McClellan said, “Last week, the Security Council sent a very clear statement to the regime. It said: Comply with your obligations; come clean. You have 30 days to come clean, make a commitment to come clean, and comply with your obligations, or we’re going to be back at the Security Council consulting about next steps to take”.

The White House spokesman did not delve into whether “next steps” would involve sanctions.

He said that Tehran had to “suspend its uranium enrichment and enrichment-related activity and come back to the negotiations and act in good faith”.

“The International Atomic Energy Agency will be working with the regime. We’ll see if the regime is ready to commit to negotiation over confrontation. You can understand why we are sceptical, given their history of hiding their activities and given their wilful disregard for adhering to their international obligations”, he added.

The United States and Europe believe that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program under the guise of civilian use.