Iran's Troubling Behavior

The Voice of America News:

The United States has no plans to expand diplomatic contacts with the government of Iran or to offer Iran's clerical regime incentives to change its behavior. White House spokesman Scott McClellan says that known communication channels are available to the two countries if the need arises. But, he says, U.S. policy "is only toughening when it comes to Iran":

"We are more troubled by some of Iran's recent behavior and action than we have been. . . .You saw some of the comments made by the president of the [Iranian] regime at the United Nations, and it only increases the concerns of the international community. There is growing concern when it comes to Iran's development of nuclear weapons. . . .They [Iran's rulers] need to stop their support of terrorism; they need to change their behavior; they need to give their people more freedom."

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack pointed to "a tougher-minded U.S. policy as well as a tougher-minded policy from the international community with respect to Iran's behavior":

"This is a regime that is seeking nuclear weapons, that supports terrorism and that oppresses its people. . . .What we are seeing from the Iranian regime now in these past several weeks, and most especially when you take a look at President Ahmadinejad's recent speech at the U-N, you see this regime kind of revealing its true face and, you know, continuing its defiance of the international community."

"Iran, through its own actions, has isolated itself," says Mr. McCormack. "It is now up to Iran to demonstrate that it wants to reverse the course that it is currently on, and that is a course of greater isolation from the international community."