• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Kerry: Iran Must Comply With Nuclear Inspections

by Scott Stearns January 24, 2013

​​President Obama's choice to be the next secretary of state says Iran must comply with inspections of its nuclear facilities. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry testified before Congressional colleagues as part of the process to confirm him as America's top diplomat.

There is broad bipartisan support for Senator Kerry's nomination to replace Hillary Clinton at the State Department, so the Senate hearing was less about him getting the job and more about what he will do with it.

He said the first priority for U.S. diplomacy is ending the country's domestic budget uncertainty.

'It is hard to tell the leadership of a number of countries that they have to deal with the IMF, balance their budget and create economic order where there is none if we do not provide it for ourselves,' he said.

Senator Kerry said it is vital for the United States to confront immediate and dangerous challenges including terrorism and the threat from Iran's nuclear program.

'We will do what we must do to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,' he said. 'And I repeat here today: Our policy is not containment, it is prevention, and the clock is ticking on our efforts to secure responsible compliance.'

If confirmed as secretary of state, Senator Kerry said he will work to give diplomacy every effort to succeed, but he said no one should mistake the U.S. resolve to reduce Iran's nuclear threat.

Iran said its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian purposes. Senator Kerry said that is easy enough to prove by complying with international inspections.