Clinton Demands Iran ‘Come Clean’ on Nuclear Program

Vows Continued Isolation Unless Iran Confesses

by Jason Ditz, January 21, 2010

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today vowed that the US and the European Union would never “back down” on Iran, and would continue to demand that the nation “come clean” about its nuclear program.

The United States has maintained for several years that Iran has a secret nuclear weapons program. Despite these claims, the IAEA has continued to verify that none of Iran’s nuclear material is being diverted to any non-civilian use, and Iran remains forthcoming with access and information about its civilian nuclear sites.

Clinton vowed to ensure Iran’s “continued isolation” unless they come forward and admit to America’s allegations, and chided them for not providing a satisfactory response to the draft third party uranium enrichment deal. Iran has repeatedly called for additional talks, and earlier this week delivered a memo clarifying its position on the proposal. None of these, according to the State Department, counts as an official response, however, and Western officials have angrily rejected the idea of further talks on the proposal even as they suggest they are committed to diplomacy.

Despite Western pushes for additional sanctions against Iran, it is very unlikely that such a proposal can move through the UN Security Council anytime soon, as China remains opposed to sanctions and has urged patience from both sides.

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