US Sanctions Iranian Military Groups and Banks
By: Administrative Account | Source: CNSNews.com
October 25, 2007 11:33AM EST

By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
October 25, 2007

(CNSNews.com) - "Embrace the path of cooperation" -- or else, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned the Iranian government on Thursday.

Rice announced that the Bush administration is designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as "proliferators of weapons of mass destruction" and Iran's Quds Force as a "supporter of terrorism" -- apparently the first time the U.S. has done such a thing to another nation's military.

Rice also said the U.S. is imposing financial sanctions on three Iranian banks -- two for their involvement in "proliferation activities" and one for being a "terrorist financier."

Several Iranian individuals and organizations also will be slapped with financial sanctions, barring them from doing business with American citizens and American companies.

Rice repeated that the U.S. is "fully committed to a diplomatic solution with Iran."

She said she'd be willing to meet with her Iranian counterparts "anytime, anywhere" to discuss "any issue" -- but only if the Iranian government fulfills its international obligation to suspend uranium enrichment and reprocessing, a key step in producing nuclear weapons.

"But if Iran's mullahs choose to continue down a path of confrontation, the United States with act, with the international community, to resist these threats of the Iranian regime."

Rice, directly addressing the Iranian people, said the U.S. has "no conflict with you." She said the U.S. wants the Iranian people to have every opportunity to "develop and prosper" and even to enjoy the "peaceful use" of nuclear power.

"So we hope that your government will embrace the path of cooperation that we and the international community continue to offer," Rice concluded.

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