Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download MP3
President Barack Obama has vowed to “ratchet up the pressure” on Iran over its controversial nuclear program. Mr Obama told CBS television Iran was becoming increasingly isolated and the US wanted to enlist the help of “a unified international community”. Amid talk of new sanctions, he earlier telephoned Chinese President Hu Jintao to seek Beijing’s co-operation. Western powers claim Iran seeks nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies. The World’s Laura Lynch reports.

• BBC coverage
• Iran and the nuclear issue

Read the Transcript
This text below is a phonetic transcript of a radio story broadcast by PRI’s THE WORLD. It has been created on deadline by a contractor for PRI. The transcript is included here to facilitate internet searches for audio content. Please report any transcribing errors to theworld@pri.org. This transcript may not be in its final form, and it may be updated. Please be aware that the authoritative record of material distributed by PRI’s THE WORLD is the program audio.

MARCO WERMAN:  I’m Marco Werman, this is The world.  President Obama has scrambled for months to halt Iran’s suspected march toward nuclear weapons.  His cajoling of world power brokers seems to have fallen on deaf ears in Russia and especially in China.  China is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and wields veto power over any resolution sanctioning Iran.  But the administration now sounds pretty confident it will have Beijing’s support for tougher sanctions when Chinese President Hu Jin Tao comes to Washington in two weeks.  Still, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator made his nation’s case today to the Chinese government and he believes China in his side.  The World’s Laura Lynch has more.

LAURA LYNCH:  China sits at the heart of any new efforts to step up pressure on Iran because of it’s power to veto any new actions proposed at the U.N. Security Council.  So, it’s no surprise Chinese officials are getting friendly calls and visits from those on opposite sides of the dispute.  First it was President Obama talking to Chinese President Hu Jin Tao yesterday in an hour-long call urging him to back the call for more sanctions.  Today Mr. Obama spoke to CBS about the importance of building a united front to keep up pressure on Tehran.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:  The regime has become more isolated since I came into office.  Part of the reason that we reached out to them was to say you’ve got a path.  You can take a path that allows you to rejoin the international community, or you can take a path of developing nuclear weapons capacity that further isolates you.  And now we’re seeing them further isolated.  Over time that is going to have an effect on their economy.  Now, I have said before that we don’t take any options off the table and we’re going to continue to ratchet up the pressure and examine how they respond.

LYNCH: But Iran isn’t backing down.  It’s chief nuclear negotiator, Sayed Jalili met with China’s foreign minister today in Beijing.  Afterward Jalili suggested he had won over the Chinese to Iran’s side.

INTERPRETER:  Our Chinese friends say this problem can only be solved through negotiations and peaceful means and that some big countries should give up their incorrect actions.  Pressuring through sanctions will be ineffective.

LYNCH: Although China agreed to three earlier resolutions on sanctions against Iran, up until now it has opposed taking further punitive measures.  A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry Gin Gang, reiterates China’s long time stance of wanting the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program settled through negotiations.

INTERPRETER:  China is highly concerned with the Iranian nuclear issue.  We have been keeping in contact with all the relevant parties to push forward a diplomatic and proper resolution to the issue and make progress.

LYNCH: But the White House says it’s making progress with China Hu Jin Tao has agreed to travel to Washington to participate in a nuclear securities summit in just under two weeks.  Evan Figenbaum of the Council on Foreign Relations sees a slow but steady shift by China.

EVAN FIGENBAUM:  Chinese generally don’t like to be isolated and I think its been clear for some time that the Chinese would move in the direction of not getting in the way of a Security Council resolution.

LYNCH: But Figenbaum says that doesn’t necessarily mean Mr. Obama will be able to claim a diplomatic victory because agreeing to sanctions is one thing, ensuring they are effective is another.

FIGENBAUM:  Even with moderate enforcement, I think there are those who follow the Iran nuclear issue closely who are skeptical that this is going to produce the desired result.  And if it doesn’t, then the issues with China will become much tougher six months down the road.

LYNCH: Tougher for China because of what’s at stake for Beijing.  The country depends on Iran to deliver 11 percent of its ever-growing need for energy.  And China has become Iran’s biggest trading partner, making the economic ties that much more difficult to undo.  For The World, I’m Laura Lynch.

Copyright ©2009 PRI’s THE WORLD. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to PRI’s THE WORLD. This transcript may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior written permission. For further information, please email The World’s Permissions Coordinator at theworld@pri.org.