U.S. expects Iran to answer serious questions raised by IAEA report soon: Clinton
Clinton made the remarks at a press briefing during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings held in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Talking about her bilateral meetings with officials from the Asia-Pacific region on the sidelines of the week-long APEC meetings, Clinton said they discussed the recent report "raising serious concerns about the weapon-related work the Iranian government has undertaken."
"The United States will continue to consult closely with partners and allies on the next steps we can take to increase pressure on Iran," Clinton told the briefing.
On Tuesday, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano circulated an updated report on Iran for consideration at the meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors. A copy has also been submitted to the UN Security Council and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Ban on Thursday expressed deep concern over the possible military-dimensioned nuclear program in Iran, and called for a diplomatic solution, rather than the military one, to the nuclear standoff with Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said that the relevant IAEA documents are "unfounded and baseless."
On Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the latest IAEA report is a "politicized compilation of well-known facts."
The United States and its Western allies worry that Iran would use the uranium enrichment to make nuclear weapons, but Tehran has long insisted on the "peaceful" aspect of its nuclear program.
