US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice outlined a stark choice for Tehran in a statement delivered at the State Department in late May 2006, warning that Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons posed a direct threat to the broader international community, including the Persian Gulf region.
Rice said Iran could either continue defying international demands and face mounting political and economic sanctions, or suspend all uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and return to the Additional Protocol. The second path, she argued, would bring economic benefits and greater security for the Iranian people.
In a notable shift, Rice announced that the United States would join its British, French, and German partners at the negotiating table with Iranian officials, provided Tehran verifiably halted its enrichment activities first. The offer was conveyed to Iran through Swiss diplomatic channels and through Iran's UN mission.
Rice also raised concerns beyond the nuclear file, citing Iranian support for armed groups, alleged interference in Iraq, and efforts to undermine Lebanese sovereignty under UN Security Council Resolution 1559. She said Washington remained committed to a diplomatic resolution while pledging to strengthen the defensive capabilities of regional allies if Iran chose confrontation.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.