VOA常速英语2007-Iran's Foreign Minister Says US Threats Not Help

By Margaret Besheer
United Nations
03 October 2007

Following a week of intense international pressure on Iran to comply with U.N. resolutions demanding it suspend uranium enrichment, Tehran's top diplomat¹ says his country is cooperating with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency and wants a peaceful solution to the crisis. VOA's Margaret Besheer has more from U.N. headquarters.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Motaki says there have always been two options for resolving the crisis surrounding his country's nuclear activities - cooperation and confrontation².

"We did - and we do - prefer the first option," he said.

He told reporters Wednesday at the United Nations that Tehran is cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency to answer what he said are "six or seven sets" of questions about its nuclear program, adding that the IAEA is the appropriate forum³ for such a discussion.

Last week Iran won a temporary reprieve⁴ from possible new U.N. sanctions for not complying with international demands that it stop enriching uranium. Motaki says sanctions are unfair and do not work, and the decision to delay new ones shows the permanent members of the Security Council, plus Germany, are finally taking what he called "a realistic approach" to the issue.

He added that U.S. saber rattling⁵ to pressure Iran is ineffective, because Tehran believes Washington is in no position follow through.

"Our analysis is clear," said Motaki. "The U.S. is not in a position to impose another war in our region."

The Iranian foreign minister says his country is peaceful and has never attacked a neighbor. He adds that Tehran does not want to see the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, and reaffirmed his government's stance that it only seeks nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

But President Bush says Iran's president has made very provocative⁶ statements in the past, including threatening to destroy Israel. Mr. Bush told an audience in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday that the world needs to understand the potential consequences of a nuclear-armed Iran.

"This is a leader who has made very provocative statements, and we have made it clear, however, in spite of that we are willing to sit down with him so long as he suspends his program, his nuclear weapons program," President Bush said. "In other words, it's his choice not mine any more."

Mr. Bush says the United States' objective is to, with the help of the international community, peacefully persuade the Iranians to give up their nuclear weapons ambitions for the sake of peace.

1 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

2 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

3 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

4 reprieve   

n.暂缓执行（死刑）；v.缓期执行；给…带来缓解

参考例句：

• He was saved from the gallows by a lastminute reprieve.最后一刻的缓刑令把他从绞架上解救了下来。
• The railway line, due for closure, has been granted a six-month reprieve.本应停运的铁路线获准多运行6 个月。

5 rattling   

adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词

参考例句：

• This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。
• At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时，一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来，把窗玻璃震得当当地响。

6 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。