Gates favors diplomacy not military action on Iran

[SpartanDem]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said diplomacy and sanctions rather than military action are the way to persuade Iran to change its nuclear program as divisions emerge in the Iranian leadership.
Iran's nuclear dispute with the West intensified last week after Tehran disclosed that it is building a second uranium enrichment plant.

"While you don't take options off the table, I think there's still room left for diplomacy," Gates said on CNN's Sunday program "State of the Union."

The Pentagon chief said military force would only gain time but not convince Iranians to abandon their quest for nuclear weapons.

He said the secrecy with which Iran had been building the underground nuclear facility behind the back of the international community put Tehran in a weak position.


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