Agence France Presse, Washington – The White House said Sunday that Iran’s military exercises, which included a short-range missile test, was a reminder of the danger of the Islamic republic’s nuclear ambitions.
President George W. Bush’s administration also recalled that Iran has until August 31 to respond to a UN Security Council demand that it suspend uranium enrichment and warned that failure to comply could swiftly lead to sanctions.
"We have made clear that if Iran fails to comply with the Security Council’s mandate we will move quickly at the United Nations to impose sanctions," Emily Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman, said in a statement.
The White House statement came after Iran test-fired a short-range, surface-to-surface missile during the second day of nationwide military exercises in a demonstration of its readiness to "respond to any threat," state television reported, Iranian state television reported.
"Iran’s show of military force while it continues to defy the international community’s unanimous demands regarding its nuclear program serves to remind us of the dangers of its nuclear ambitions," Lawrimore said.
"Iran sits at the nexus of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism; we know that Iran is producing and developing delivery systems that could threaten our friends and allies in the Middle East and Europe and eventually the United States itself," she said.
