The Nuke Review: March 28 – April 5

March 31

Secretary of State Clinton made it clear that time for diplomacy with Iran was running out and that Iran’s “window of opportunity…will not remain open forever.”  She also discussed the possibility of an integrated missile defense program between the Gulf States.

April 1

Secretary of State Clinton declared in a news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that Iran must prove that it does not wish to develop nuclear weapons.  Secretary Clinton stated, “that government policy can be demonstrated in a number of ways … The international community now wants to see actions associated with that statement of belief.”

Secretary Clinton credited U.S. sanctions with inflicting growing pressure on Iran as the P5+1 plans for the first negotiations between the group and Iran in more than a year.  However, Clinton believes that there is a tough road ahead for both parties and that it is imperative “that there will be a path forward that gives the Iranians a reason to believe that it is in their national interest not to pursue their nuclear program.” Secretary Clinton also warned that a nuclear-armed Iran “would be incredibly destabilising to the region and beyond. A conflict arising out of their program would also be very destabilising.”

April 4

The next U.S.-Russia arms limitation talks may involve tactical nuclear weapons, VOA reports.  While the New START agreement limited strategic weapons and their delivery systems, it did not affect the number of tactical nuclear weapons, which have a lower yield and shorter range than strategic nuclear weapons.  There are wide-ranging discussions within NATO on the desirability of keeping the roughly 200 U.S. tactical nuclear weapons remaining in Europe.

Secretary of State Clinton addressed Western concerns over Iran’s commitment to nuclear negotiations, over Iranian requests that the summit’s location be moved.

April 5

Two Iranian officials, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the head of the parliamentary committee for national security and foreign policy, and Mohsen Rezayee, the secretary of the Iranian Expediency Council expressed concerns over the choice of Istanbul as the location for upcoming talks between the increasingly isolated nation and the P5+1.  Boroujerdi, declared that “Iranian officials are not interested in Turkey as the host,” due to Turkey’s escalating pressure on Syria, a key Iranian ally.  Rezayee suggested the talks be moved to Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut, or China instead of Istanbul.

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