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Hillary Clinton: Washington is pursuing new sanctions against Iran that "will bite"

22 March 2010 16:44 (UTC +04:00)

In remarks prepared for delivery to an influential pro-Israel group Monday, Clinton says the Obama administration’s aim is not to impose "incremental sanctions" on Iran.

She says Washington wants new sanctions that show Iran’s leaders there are "consequences" for what she calls their "intransigence."

Washington and its European allies are seeking a fourth set of U.N. Security Council sanctions on Iran for continuing to enrich uranium in defiance of U.N. demands for a halt. They accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies.

China refuses to support additional sanctions and can block them by exercising a Security Council veto.

In her prepared speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Clinton acknowledges that it is "taking time" to produce new sanctions. But, she says that time is a "worthwhile investment for winning the broadest possible support" for U.S. diplomatic efforts.

In her speech, Clinton says a nuclear-armed Iran will "embolden terrorists" and could spark an arms race that would destabilize the region.