Rather than speculate, let’s say what we know. We know that they have involved themselves in nuclear activities that are specifically prohibited by U.N. Security Council resolutions; that they have specifically failed to disclose their activities in a timely fashion to the I.A.E.A. and relevant international bodies. We know that they have pursued nuclear weapons in the past, and that the current course they’re on would provide them with nuclear weapons capabilities.

You combine those facts, and the message that we are sending is that this behavior is unacceptable. It is outside of the rules of the road that the international community has observed. They have an opportunity to correct these — what I consider to be a misguided approach.

I’ve said publicly that we don’t begrudge any country obtaining nuclear energy for peaceful civilian purposes. But Iran has not considered itself bound in many ways by the basic precepts of the NPT, or has violated them on several occasions.