Israel is anxiously awaiting the publication of an updated United
States National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, with defense officials
hoping it will finally prompt toughened sanctions against the Islamic
Republic.
Those hopes were given a boost on Thursday when the US and the
European Union vowed to keep up pressure on Iran to provide details
about its nuclear program, saying the country’s continued refusal to
prove its intentions are peaceful will draw new penalties.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and European Union
foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said efforts to craft additional
sanctions on Iran will continue. Clinton said the door to engagement
remained open but stressed that the international community would not
be “waited out” by Iranian resistance and would not “back down” on its
demands.
“Regrettably, Iran has not responded to that engagement even as the
international community’s concern about the intent of Iran’s nuclear
program has increased,” Clinton said. “We will continue our close
consultation on next steps in keeping with our dual-track approach. But
let me be clear, we will not be waited out and we will not back down.
“Iran has a very clear choice between continued isolation and
living up to its international obligations,” she said. “We are going at
this in a v… >>>
