U.S. Urges Latin America Not to Deepen Ties with Iran
The United States on Friday urged Latin American countries not to deepen ties with Iran as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prepared to visit Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador.
"As the regime feels increasing pressure, it is desperate for friends and flailing around in interesting places to find new friends," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said when asked about Ahmadinejad's trip.
"We are making absolutely clear to countries around the world that now is not the time to be deepening ties, not security ties, not economic ties, with Iran," she told reporters.
"Rather, it's in the entire international community's interest to make clear to Iran that it's got a choice," she said.
Nuland could not say whether these points were made directly to Venezuelan and Cuban officials, but she said Washington was in "close touch" with Nicaragua and Ecuador about Amhadinejad's trip.
Iran "can... remain in an international isolation, or it can comply with its obligations and start cooperating and rejoin the community of nations," she added.
The United States and the European Union have been stepping up sanctions against Iran over its uranium enrichment program, on top of four rounds of U.N. Security Council sanctions and a host of unilateral punitive measures.
The United States and western powers suspect Iran's program masks a drive to build nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charge saying its program is purely peaceful.
Ahmadinejad will arrive in Caracas late Sunday for talks with anti-U.S. firebrand Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
On Tuesday he will attend the inauguration of the recently re-elected Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega, before travelling to Cuba and Ecuador.
Source: Agence France Presse
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