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Summary
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Iran's diverse leadership Tuesday that there is still an opportunity for them to return to negotiations despite new UN Security Council sanctions.Talking during a visit to Colombia, the chief US diplomat did not rule out a negotiating role for Brazil and Turkey, which voted against the sanctions after clinching a nuclear swap deal with Tehran dismissed by Washington. Our ultimate goal is to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, Clinton told reporters. We can, we believe, slow down and certainly interfere with and make much more difficult their continuing nuclear program through these sanctions, she said, adding that is in itself an important accomplishment. At the same we do want them back at the negotiating table, and whether they come back with the P5-plus-1 or in some other configuration is yet to be determined, she said. The P5-plus-1 refers to the permanent five UN Security Council members, the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany, which have led the negotiations with Iran over the last few years. She said the new sanctions sends a message to the entire Iranian leadership, which is quite diverse in their assessments and reactions, that there is still an opportunity for you to participate in negotiations. She said the successful sanctions vote shows how the Obama administration managed to create a unified international response by demonstrating its willingness to engage Iran. We're gratified by the positive response that a year of engagement has produced, she said. When the administration took office in January 2009, she said, there was no appetite in the international community for further sanctions.
