Iran poses a grave threat, warns Clinton

WASHINGTON — Iran and North Korea are the countries posing the gravest threats to American interests, according to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Asked by CNN which countries she thought posed the greatest threats to the US, Clinton said: “In terms of a country, obviously, a nuclear-armed country like North Korea or Iran pose both a real or a potential threat.”

She immediately clarified that she did not believe Iran — unlike North Korean — was nuclear armed, but was close to it.

She also qualified her response, saying that non-state terrorist networks pose a greater threat than countries.

Clinton referred to the recent revelation of a second uranium enrichment plant at Qom and Iran’s rejection of a compromise enrichment offer brokered through the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“We believe that their behaviour certainly is evidence of their intentions,” she said.

“And how close they are may be the subject of some debate, but the failure to disclose the facility at Qom, the failure to accept what was a very reasonable offer by Russia, France and the US through the IAEA to take their uranium, their low-enriched uranium and return it for their research reactor.”

Clinton said President Barack Obama’s policy of outreach to Iran and other nations succeeded in galvanizing international support for Iran’s isolation.

“Engagement was the first stage,” she said. “We had to change the mind-set of not just leaders but of their populations. We are moving toward a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia, something that has been a high priority with us. We have reset our relationship.

“The Russians have been very positive in discussions about sanctions on Iran and on many other important matters. I’m not sure that would have been predicted a year ago.”

JTA