White House officials on Monday said they have “serious concerns” about Iran’s nuclear program, despite a deal announced earlier in the day by the Islamic regime to ship low-enriched uranium to Turkey.
“Given Iran’s repeated failure to live up to its own commitments, and the need to address fundamental issues related to Iran’s nuclear program, the United States and international community continue to have serious concerns,” said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs in a formal statement to the press.
Work at the United Nations on sanctions against Iran, which the new deal appeared to be aimed at derailing, will continue, administration officials told the Associated Press.
Gibbs’ statement hinted that sanctions are coming.
“The United States will continue to work with our international partners, and through the United Nations Security Council, to make it clear to the Iranian government that it must demonstrate through deeds — and not simply words — its willingness to live up to international obligations or face consequences, including sanctions.”
Gibbs said that the deal, brokered by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, “must now be conveyed clearly and authoritatively to the [International Atomic Energy Agency] before it can be considered by the international community.”
Here is the full statement as provided by the White House:
Statement by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on Iran
We acknowledge the efforts that have been made by Turkey and Brazil. The proposal announced in Tehran must now be conveyed clearly and authoritatively to the IAEA before it can be considered by the international community. Given Iran’s repeated failure to live up to its own commitments, and the need to address fundamental issues related to Iran’s nuclear program, the United States and international community continue to have serious concerns. While it would be a positive step for Iran to transfer low-enriched uranium off of its soil as it agreed to do last October, Iran said today that it would continue its 20% enrichment, which is a direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions and which the Iranian government originally justified by pointing to the need for fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor. Furthermore, the Joint Declaration issued in Tehran is vague about Iran’s willingness to meet with the P5+1 countries to address international concerns about its nuclear program, as it also agreed to do last October.
The United States will continue to work with our international partners, and through the United Nations Security Council, to make it clear to the Iranian government that it must demonstrate through deeds – and not simply words – its willingness to live up to international obligations or face consequences, including sanctions. Iran must take the steps necessary to assure the international community that its nuclear program is intended exclusively for peaceful purposes, including by complying with U.N. Security Council resolutions and cooperating fully with the IAEA. We remain committed to a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear program, as part of the P5+1 dual track approach, and will be consulting closely with our partners on these developments going forward.