US determined to prevent Iran from acquiring N-weapons: Clinton

The US is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring atomic weapons, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said, announcing the first list of 11 countries which were again exempted from its Iranian sanctions act.

"The United States is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and has pursued a dual-track policy to do so," Clinton said in a statement yesterday.

She announced that 11 countries have again qualified for exemption from America's Iran sanctions act based on reductions in the volume of their Iranian crude oil purchase.

These countries are Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

India too needs such a determination from the Secretary of State to be exempted from the US sanctions in this regard.

Clinton said the international community is determined to make significant cuts to Iranian oil revenue, which funds not only the nuclear program but Iran's support for terror and destabilizing actions in the region and around the world.

"Yesterday, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors overwhelmingly adopted a resolution that clearly reflects the international community’s concerns regarding Iran's nuclear programme. Iran must take concrete steps to address those concerns," she said.

"Iran must cooperate fully and immediately with the IAEA on all outstanding issues. We welcome the resolve of the international community to make clear the onus is on Iran to abide by its international obligations, honor its commitments to the IAEA, and prove that its intentions are peaceful," Clinton said.

"As of July 1, the European Union implemented a full ban on Iranian crude oil and petroleum products, strengthening the comprehensive measures it has taken to hold Iran accountable for its failure to comply with its international nuclear obligations," she said.

"Japan has also taken significant steps to reduce its crude oil purchases, which is especially notable considering the extraordinary energy challenges it has faced in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster.

"As a result, I will report to the Congress that the exception to sanctions pursuant to Section 1245 of the NDAA will apply to the financial institutions based in these countries for a renewable period of 180 days," Clinton said.