The Associated Press – The chief U.S. arms control official said Thursday the international standoff over Iran’s disputed nuclear program will not be resolved quickly.
"This is going to be a very difficult diplomatic effort stretching over many months," Robert G. Joseph, the undersecretary of state for arms control, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"We are working diplomacy as hard as we can," he said. "Everyone wants diplomacy to provide the solution to this threat."
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors has reported Iran to the U.N. Security Council, but the United States has been reluctant to discuss what actions it may seek next to persuade Iran to halt its nuclear program.
Joseph reiterated the Bush administration’s position that it has not ruled out any option, including military action, but he declined to discuss exactly what options are being considered.
However, he suggested that restrictions on oil were among them when asked by Sen. Joseph Biden (news, bio, voting record) of Delaware, the panel’s top Democrat, whether the administration has analyzed the impact of oil sanctions on Iran.
"As we move forward, we are analyzing all aspects of next steps we might be able to take," Joseph said, declining to be more specific. "But what you said is something that we know in terms of certain vulnerabilities that are out there."
Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, intended only to produce electricity. But the U.S. contends Tehran seeks to make a nuclear bomb.
"A nuclear-armed Iran is something that is unacceptable to us," Joseph said. "My sense is we can’t wait 10 years and 17 resolutions before we address the full aspect of the threat."
