Clinton: Iran must take concrete steps on nukes

US secretary of state says world will know within weeks if Iran is prepared to take steps by next P5+1 meeting in Moscow.

By HILARY LEILA KRIEGER, JPOST CORRESPONDENT
Hillary Clinton 370 (photo credit: REUTERS)
Hillary Clinton 370
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Iran has warned the United States not to resort to military action against it, saying US bases in the region are vulnerable to the Islamic Republic’s missiles, state media reported on Saturday.
The comments by a senior Iranian military commander were an apparent response to US officials who have said Washington was ready to use force to stop Iran’s march to nuclear weapons capability.
One government official in Jerusalem said the “belligerent words” of Iran’s leadership have already unfortunately been accompanied by “belligerent actions.”
“The Iranians concretely support the brutal regime in Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and nihilistic forces throughout the region.
This dangerous regime can simply not be allowed to achieve nuclear weapons, that would change the world as we now it,” the official said.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton indicated on Friday that Iran would need to prove its intentions to take steps to address international concerns over its nuclear program by the end of this month.
“We are looking for concrete actions and we will know by the next meeting in Moscow in just a few weeks whether Iran is prepared to take such actions,” Clinton told reporters while on a trip to Norway.
She continued, “We will judge them by their actions and we will determine whether those actions are sufficient to meet their obligations.”
A third round of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program is scheduled to begin on June 17 in Moscow, following inconclusive talks world powers held with the Islamic Republic in April and May in two Middle East capitals.
Israel has been concerned that Iran is using the talks to drag out the timeline for its uranium enrichment activity and wants to see a firm endgame imposed.
The US has in the past said it, too, doesn’t want to see talks for the sake of talks that only give Tehran more opportunity for its enrichment program, but has seen more time at play than Israel and has agreed to three rounds of talks spaced out over several weeks.
Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threat
Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threat
While the US has said the window for talks is not unlimited, Clinton’s words on Friday went the furthest in giving a time-frame for American expectations about Iranian performance.
“Our negotiations with Iran have never been about intentions or sincerity, but actions and results,” she said.
Reuters contributed to this report.