Washington,U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton on Wednesday vowed to hold Iran accountable for its alleged involvement in a "terror plot" to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington.
This plot was "a flagrant violation of international and U.S. law and a dangerous escalation of the Iranian government's long- standing use of political violence and sponsorship of terrorism," Clinton said at an event organized by the Center for American Progress.
"This kind of reckless act undermines international norms and the international system," she said. "Iran must be held accountable for its actions."
Clinton's tough-worded remarks came after two men were charged by the U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday for their alleged participation in a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States. The two suspects are Manssor Arbabsiar, a 56-year- old naturalized U.S. citizen holding both Iranian and U.S. passports, and Iranian Gholam Shakuri.
Clinton pledged to work closely with international partners to "increase Iran's isolation and the pressure on its government," urging other nations to join the United States in condemning this plot.
She noted that the United States has increased sanctions on individuals within the Iranian government who are believed to be tied to this plot, referring to Tuesday's announcement by the U.S. Treasury Department to slap sanctions on five individuals, including four senior officers from the Quds Force, an elite division of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for foreign operations.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi on Wednesday strongly rejected the U.S. accusations. He said that Washington will be compelled to apologize to Tehran for its " unfounded allegation" against Iran, adding that "our friends in the Persian Gulf region are familiar with these devilish conspiracies."
This plot was "a flagrant violation of international and U.S. law and a dangerous escalation of the Iranian government's long- standing use of political violence and sponsorship of terrorism," Clinton said at an event organized by the Center for American Progress.
"This kind of reckless act undermines international norms and the international system," she said. "Iran must be held accountable for its actions."
Clinton's tough-worded remarks came after two men were charged by the U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday for their alleged participation in a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States. The two suspects are Manssor Arbabsiar, a 56-year- old naturalized U.S. citizen holding both Iranian and U.S. passports, and Iranian Gholam Shakuri.
Clinton pledged to work closely with international partners to "increase Iran's isolation and the pressure on its government," urging other nations to join the United States in condemning this plot.
She noted that the United States has increased sanctions on individuals within the Iranian government who are believed to be tied to this plot, referring to Tuesday's announcement by the U.S. Treasury Department to slap sanctions on five individuals, including four senior officers from the Quds Force, an elite division of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for foreign operations.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi on Wednesday strongly rejected the U.S. accusations. He said that Washington will be compelled to apologize to Tehran for its " unfounded allegation" against Iran, adding that "our friends in the Persian Gulf region are familiar with these devilish conspiracies."
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