Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unequivocally stated that the United States would not permit Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, she said this morning on NBC’s Meet the Press. Her comments come amidst speculation that Israel is preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities. Moreover, Iranian officials have dismissed the overtures of the Obama Administration to engage the regime on its nuclear program. Notably, she said on MTP today:
“What we want to do is to send a message to whoever is making these decisions, that if you’re pursuing nuclear weapons for the purpose of intimidating, of projecting your power, we’re not going to let that happen,” Clinton said.
“First, we’re going to do everything we can to prevent you from ever getting a nuclear weapon. But your pursuit is futile, because we will never let Iran — nuclear-armed, not nuclear-armed — it is something that we view with great concern, and that’s why we’re doing everything we can to prevent that from ever happening. … We believe, as a matter of policy, it is unacceptable for Iran to have nuclear weapons.”
Earlier this month speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations, Clinton used much softer language to address Iran, stating that the regime only had the right to civil nuclear power. She said at CFR:
“Iran does not have a right to nuclear military capacity, and we’re determined to prevent that. But it does have a right to civil nuclear power if it reestablishes the confidence of the international community that it will use its programs exclusively for peaceful purposes.”