Clinton says nuclear race not in Iran's interest

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said pursuing nuclear weapons was not in Iran's own interest as she pressed Tehran to accept a UN-backed deal.

Clinton said in a television interview aired late Monday that the United States has many reasons for distrusting Iran, including its "support for terrorism," such as its backing for the Islamic movements Hezbollah and Hamas.

"We've always said that every option is on the table. Our goal is to prevent or dissuade Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons," Clinton told "The Charlie Rose Show" on public broadcaster PBS during a visit to Germany.

Clinton said President Barack Obama's administration has tried to "create a new dynamic" by telling Iran, "'Look, we don't have to trust or love each other to understand that it is in our interest to try to stabilize the world.'"

"It is not in Iran's interest to have a nuclear arms race in the Gulf, where they would be less secure than they are today. It is not in Iran's interest, to the Iranian people's interest, to be subjected to very onerous sanctions," she said.

Under the UN-backed deal, Iran would rely on Russia and France to process low-enriched uranium to fuel a Tehran reactor that makes medical isotopes.

The Islamic republic would be left without sufficient material to make a nuclear weapon, at least from stockpiles known to the international community.

Clinton said that much of the reason for the delayed Iranian response stemmed from domestic politics after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the victor of hotly disputed elections.

"We understand the internal political dynamics, and we've been, I think, patient in helping them to see that we're serious," she said.