Tue 09 February 2010 | 07:04 GMT Text size:

Robert M. Gates

Iran's nuclear development program only serves to put the Middle East in danger of nuclear weapons proliferation, the US defence secretary has said.

Robert Gates addressed a press conference in Paris yesterday alongside his French counterpart, Hervé Morin.

But, Gates pushed for stronger diplomatic and economic pressure from the international community rather than calling for military conflict.

“I think that everybody’s interest is in seeing this issue resolve without resorting to conflict. But it makes it all the more important,” he said. “We have to face the reality that if Iran continues and develops nuclear weapons it almost certainly will provoke proliferation in the Middle East. That’s a huge danger.”

Morin backed Gates’ comments on Iran, saying that France supports putting international pressure on Iran to stop its current nuclear program.

Gates said that if all international partners would agree on a plan, then sanctions could still work.

“The key is persuading Iranian leaders that their long-term best interests are best served by not having nuclear weapons, as opposed to having them,” Gates said. “My hope is that we will then be able to keep this in economic and diplomatic channels.

“The point of the pressure is to bring the Iranians back to the negotiating table and to resolve this issue in a way that prevents Iran from having a nuclear weapon,” he added.

Besides Iran, Gates said he talked about France’s military support in Afghanistan. The secretary called France “close partners”. Gates said that during the past few years the diplomatic relationship with France has “significantly” expanded.

US Department of Defence