Washington, August 04: Warning Iran of tough new sanctions, the US has set a September deadline to respond to its invitation of engagement and dialogue over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
“As you know, the P5-plus-1 has an outstanding invitation for the Iranians to come to the table. The President strongly believes that we should — and many of our allies believe that we should not allow the Iranians to acquire a nuclear weapon. That invitation has not been responded to,” the White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, told reporters at his daily press conference.
“As you have heard the President discuss recently, we will evaluate as part of the G8 process where we are on that engagement in September,” Mr. Gibbs said refraining himself from commenting any further.
The Obama Administration believes that it is important to do what has to be done in order to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, he said. Among them are, he said: “A host of things, including I think beginning by engaging directly with them, so that they can live up to their own responsibilities in not pursuing that technology.”
–PTI