Speaking to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the United States and the European Three – France, Germany, and Great Britain - are ready to report Iran to the United Nations Security Council for tougher diplomatic action against that country’s nuclear program. The United States, she said, is gravely concerned over the possibility of Iran gaining a nuclear weapons capability:
"We are working very closely with our partners in the international system, most especially with the European Three, who, by the way, gave the Iranians an opportunity for an opening to the world, for greater trade, for greater engagement, if Iran would only allow its civil nuclear needs to be met in a way that was consistent with proliferation concerns. Given that the Iranians walked out on that opportunity, given that they have broken their moratorium [on uranium enrichment-related activities] and have begun to remove the seals on equipment that would allow them to perfect the technologies for a nuclear weapon, it's our very strong view that it is time to refer Iran to the Security Council."
Secretary of State Rice said that the United States wants to use diplomacy to solve the Iran nuclear issue:
"There will be many options available to the Security Council, but we believe that that is only the start of a new phase of diplomacy. A certain set of negotiations will have failed, but...we will still have diplomatic means to try and get Iran to return to more sensible policies." It is not only Iran's nuclear policies that are a problem, Ms. Rice said:
"Iran is the most important sponsor, state sponsor, of terrorism, sponsoring those who would undermine the hopes of people in Lebanon or the Palestinian territories for peace."
The Iranian people, said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, are having their hopes hijacked by an "unelected few" who are out of step with the direction the rest of the region is taking.
The preceding was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government.
