Kerry: US to Judge Iran by Actions, Not Words
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - US secretary of state John Kerry said on that Thursday it would be "diplomatic malpractice of the worst order" not to test Iran's willingness to comply with international demands over its nuclear program.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo after he and defense secretary Chuck Hagel met with the foreign and defense ministers of Japan, Kerry said the US would not take any Iranian offer at face value and said Iran would have to prove it is not trying to develop a nuclear weapon.
"We have an obligation,'' Kerry said, adding, "It would be diplomatic malpractice of the worst order not to examine every possibility of whether or not you can achieve that before you ask people to take military action and do what you have to do to prevent it."
"You have to exhaust the remedies before you ratchet up to a next tier of remedies that may have more dramatic consequences," he said, AP reported.
However, Kerry stressed that Rouhani's apparent overtures would be looked at with an extremely critical eye.
"There is nothing here that is going to be taken at face value and we have made that clear," he said. "It is not words that will make a difference, it's actions, and the actions clearly are going to have to be sufficient that the world will understand that not only will they not be on the road to get a weapon but there is no ability to suddenly break out and achieve that."
Iranian officials, too, have on many occasions underlined that the US should prove its honesty in actions, not words.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on September 28 that language of threats is not a good language, advising the Americans: If you wish to resolve the nuclear issue through diplomacy you need to act honestly.
Larijani confirmed that the US tone has changed in the past few days, but added what we need to pay attention to is their deeds, not their words.
On Tuesday, a senior Iranian lawmaker said President Rouhani's trip to New York opened up a new chapter in international relations, and called on the White House to take serious action to redress its past track record with Iran.
The US needs to show it is serious to make a new start in its relations with Tehran; it also needs to make up for part of its past crimes against the Iranian nation and give up its hostility towards the country, Alireza Zakani said in his Tuesday address at the parliament.
