Clinton, in a speech at a security conference in Bahrain, addressed herself to the Iranian delegation headed by Mottaki and said Iran faced the choice of living up to its obligations and fully addressing the world’s fears about its nuclear program.

“We urge you to make that choice — for your people, your interests, and our shared security,” Clinton said. “We urge you to restore the confidence of the international community and live up to your obligations.”

Mottaki did not react visibly to Clinton’s address and instead concentrated on his dinner.

Clinton’s speech came just days before Iranian negotiators sit down in Geneva with representatives of six big powers — the United States, France, Russia, Britain, China and Germany. Monday’s meeting will be the first in more than a year.

Clinton said the world community and Iran both had a lot riding on the Geneva talks.

“We hope that you will come to it, as we will, in good faith and prepared to engage constructively on your nuclear program,” Clinton said.

Repeating that the Obama administration remained committed to trying to resolve the Iranian nuclear question through dialogue, Clinton said no one quibbled with Tehran’s right to a peaceful nuclear program.

But she said Iran’s behavior in recent months had sown more doubts about its true nuclear intentions — which the big powers fear are aimed at producing atomic weapons despite Tehran’s pledge that it has purely peaceful aims.

Rather than address the world community’s concerns, Iran has “so far chosen a different path, one that leads to greater international isolation and pressure.”
 

US officials say there is still time for a diplomatic solution with Iran but the increasingly defiant state must take “tangible steps” to address concerns about its nuclear program.

US officials also say economic sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program are biting increasingly deeply, possibly cutting investment in its crucial energy sector by as much as $60 billion and spurring Tehran’s renewed interest in engagement.

“I think we’re going to have to take stock of where we are after Geneva ... The pressure’s not lifting because they’re coming to the table in Geneva. And then we’ll take it step by step,” Clinton said in an interview with Foreign Policy magazine made public on Friday.

Clinton, who elsewhere in her speech vowed to boost US security cooperation with Gulf states like Bahrain that feel most directly under potential Iranian threat, said Tehran could be making its own calculations in agreeing to re-engage.

“It is for me, if you are thinking strategically, very much in Iran’s interest to come to these talks in Geneva committed to working out a way to restore the confidence of the international community,” she said during a question-and-answer session after the speech.

But she said it was imperative that Tehran “conclusively reject the pursuit of nuclear weapons,” saying that any Iranian hope of making their country more secure through such arms was unfounded.

“That is an absolutely wrong calculation because it will trigger an arms race that will make the region less stable, more uncertain and will cause serious repercussions far beyond the Gulf,” Clinton said.

Clinton, calling Iran “the home of one of humankinds great civilizations,” said the region would benefit immensely if Iran could be integrated socially, politically and economically with its neighbors.