Clinton Says U.S. ‘Not Setting Deadlines’ for Deal With Iran

September 10, 2012 6:25 pm

The U.S. is “not setting deadlines” for Iran and still considers negotiations as “by far the best approach” to prevent the Islamic Republic from developing nuclear weapons, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

While Clinton said in an interview yesterday that economic sanctions are building pressure on Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week the sanctions aren’t slowing Iran’s nuclear advances “because it doesn’t see a clear red line from the international community.”

Asked if the Obama administration will lay out sharper “red lines” for Iran or state explicitly the consequences of failing to negotiate a deal with world powers by a certain date, Clinton said, “We’re not setting deadlines.”

“We’re watching very carefully about what they do, because it’s always been more about their actions than their words,” Clinton said in the interview with Bloomberg Radio after meetings at an Asia-Pacific forum in Vladivostok, Russia.

Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak have indicated that as Iran proceeds with its nuclear work and negotiations stall, Israel may have no choice but to launch a preemptive strike in self-defense. Iran’s leaders have denied Israel’s right to exist.

‘More Powerful’

Amos Yadlin, the former commander of Israeli military intelligence, said his country had the capability to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. “We are much more powerful than it seems,” Yadlin said in remarks broadcast today on Army Radio.

While the U.S. and Israel share the goal that Iran not acquire a nuclear weapon, Clinton said there is a difference in perspective over the time horizon for talks.

“They’re more anxious about a quick response because they feel that they’re right in the bull’s-eye, so to speak,” Clinton said. “But we’re convinced that we have more time to focus on these sanctions, to do everything we can to bring Iran to a good-faith negotiation.”

A meeting of the United Nations’ atomic agency convened today in Vienna which U.S. officials say will provide an important assessment of Iran’s nuclear progress and the pressure the international community should exert to halt it.

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported last month that Iran raised the uranium-enrichment capacity at its underground Fordo facility and increased stockpiles of medium- enriched uranium, a step short of nuclear-bomb material.

Restore Confidence

“We need to stop going around in circles,” IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said today about trying to reach an deal to visit more suspected Iranian sites. While the Vienna-based agency is “committed” to more talks, “it is Iran that should proactively cooperate with us to restore international confidence,” he said.

“I think what is important to realize is that Iran will not stop unless it sees clear determination by the democratic countries of the world and a clear red line,” Netanyahu said yesterday in an interview with Canada’s CBC television. “We’re discussing it right now with the U.S.”

In the past week, Clinton has been to both China and Russia, speaking with leaders of both nations to seek unity in their Iran stance. Afterward, she said China and Russia share the U.S.’s firm view that Iran must be stopped from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

The Obama administration still believes the best way to do that is to continue to offer a negotiated settlement, while increasing the pain for Iran of refusing to accept the deal by squeezing it with financial and oil sanctions, she said.

Iran’s Claim

In June, negotiators for six world powers proposed that Iran ship out its stockpiles of 20 percent enriched uranium — to remove the potential that it will further be processed to 90 percent to fuel a nuclear bomb — and to stop enrichment at Fordo in exchange for energy and aviation incentives. Israel wants all Iranian uranium enrichment halted and enriched uranium removed.