Cheney warns of 'serious consequences' of Iran's nuclear ambitions
{{date|October 22, 2007}}
[[Image:Dick Cheney giving a speech on Middle East.jpg|right|thumb|270px|U.S. Vice President [[w:Dick Cheney|Dick Cheney]] giving his speech.]]
In a speech on Sunday, [[United States|U.S.]] Vice President [[w:Dick Cheney|Dick Cheney]] warned that [[Iran]] will face "serious consequences" if it refuses to stop enriching uranium.  In his speech, Cheney also accused Iran of being "the world’s most active sponsor of state terrorism," and called Iran's government "a growing obstacle to peace in the [[Middle East]]."

"The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course, the international community is prepared to impose serious consequences," Cheney said in a speech to the Washington Institute for Near East Studies, without specifying whether those consequences would include military action.  "The United States joins other nations in sending a clear message: We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon," he said.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman [[w:Mohammad Ali Hosseini|Mohammad Ali Hosseini]] said today that Iran's nuclear policies are "unalterable" and that terminating Iran's nuclear program "isn't on the agenda and won't be."  Iran maintains that it is developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, a position that has been backed by [[Russia|Russian]] President [[w:Vladimir Putin|Vladimir Putin]].

In an interview with [[w:CNN|''CNN'']], U.S. Representative [[w:Jane Harman|Jane Harman]] (D-Calif.) said the language being used by the Bush administration is "very dangerous" and recommended stronger U.N. sanctions as an alternative to "war-mongering threats."  "We heard about mushroom clouds and other images before the military action in [[Iraq]]. I wish the president would avoid that," she said.

{{haveyoursay}}
== Related News ==
*{{wikinews|title=Bush and Putin suggest potential for World War III|date=October 20, 2007}}
*{{wikinews|title=Putin promises to complete Iran's nuclear reactor|date=October 17, 2007}}

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aOBorZpm1oY4&refer=home
|title=Cheney Warns Iran of 'Serious Consequences' on Nuclear Program
|author=Nicholas Johnston
|pub=Bloomberg.com
|date=October 21, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/21/us/21cnd-cheney.html
|title=Cheney Issues Stronger Warning on Iran
|author=Sheryl Gay Stolberg
|pub=The New York Times
|date=October 21, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5heE937QM6QzE9T5U7wFrft0XfTmA
|title=Cheney: Iran faces 'serious consequences' over nuclear drive
|author=
|pub=AFP
|date=October 21, 2007}}

==External links==
*[http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071021.html Dick Cheney speech]

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[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:Iran]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Nuclear proliferation]]
[[Category:Nuclear power]]

[[es:Cheney advierte 'serias consecuencias' por las ambiciones nucleares de Irán]]
Dick Cheney giving his speech.
In a speech on Sunday, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney warned that Iran will face "serious consequences" if it refuses to stop enriching uranium.  In his speech, Cheney also accused Iran of being "the world’s most active sponsor of state terrorism," and called Iran's government "a growing obstacle to peace in the Middle East."

"The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course, the international community is prepared to impose serious consequences," Cheney said in a speech to the Washington Institute for Near East Studies, without specifying whether those consequences would include military action.  "The United States joins other nations in sending a clear message: We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon," he said.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said today that Iran's nuclear policies are "unalterable" and that terminating Iran's nuclear program "isn't on the agenda and won't be."  Iran maintains that it is developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, a position that has been backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In an interview with CNN, U.S. Representative Jane Harman (D-Calif.) said the language being used by the Bush administration is "very dangerous" and recommended stronger U.N. sanctions as an alternative to "war-mongering threats."  "We heard about mushroom clouds and other images before the military action in Iraq. I wish the president would avoid that," she said.
North America United States Middle East Iran Politics and conflicts Nuclear proliferation Nuclear power