US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice delivers remarks at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in Washington June 3, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated on Tuesday American call for increasing international pressure on Iran, which faces three UN Security Council sanctions resolutions over its nuclear program.
"Our partners in Europe and beyond need to exploit Iran's vulnerabilities more vigorously and impose greater costs on the regime economically, financially, politically and diplomatically, "Rice told a policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israeli lobby group.
"A regime that denies the Holocaust, threatens and murders its neighbors' citizens, and seeks to destroy a member of the United Nations should not be allowed to cross the nuclear threshold," Rice said, referring to strong anti-Israel statements by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Citing Iran's insistence to hold its nuclear right, Rice also said that there's no point in talking to Iran's government "while they continue to inch closer to a nuclear weapon."
True diplomacy "is not a synonym for talking", but must be combined with pressure tactics, Rice noted.
Despite its refusal to have talks with Iran over nuclear issues, Washington denied speculation that the United States may resort to military strike against Iran, and says it remains ready to talk to Iran about improving security in Iraq.
(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2008)
