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QUESTION: On the P-5+1 meeting in Moscow, do you have any update?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, Under Secretary Burns has had several meetings in Moscow today. He had an hour and a half -- he started off his day in Moscow with an hour-and-a-half meeting with his Chinese counterpart. They had a very productive exchange. This is the first opportunity that they had had to meet with -- on this particular topic. His name is Assistant Minister Cui. They had a good, detailed exchange, as would indicate an hour-and-a-half long meeting, on where we stand with Iran as well as the way forward. So that was a very good exchange.

He also has today a P-5+1 dinner. I think they're, at the moment, in the dinner and meeting. I would expect that -- right now, that they are going to be, again, talking about the same basic topic: where we stand with Iran right now and what is the way forward to get them to change their behavior. There's wide agreement -- the preliminary discussions indicate that there is wide agreement on the fact that Iran can't be allowed to possess the means to develop a nuclear weapon. There's also agreement on the fact that all the parties on the P-5+1 are committed to trying to work together within the Security Council mechanism to find a way to increase the pressure on Iran so -- on the Iranian regime so that they will change their behavior.

I expect that they are going to talk about a number of different topics, certainly, what are the diplomatic levers that you can use to accomplish that diplomatic goal, whether that's sanctions or asset freezes or travel restrictions. And I would expect also that they talked about ways that they can work together collectively, certainly through the UN route, but also ways that individual countries or groups of countries can work together to increase pressure on the Iranian regime to change their behavior. And I expect that to be the same general topics for the meetings tomorrow.

Tomorrow is a different group. It will be the G-7, G-8 countries. I think new to the mix of -- on those discussions will be Canada and Italy. So that's another opportunity in a different forum to talk about what are the diplomatic means to increase pressure on the Iranian regime.

QUESTION: Can I follow-up on that?

MR. MCCORMACK: Sure.

QUESTION: Today in Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Minister spokesman, your colleague said -- counterpart said that no matter how much pressure they put on us, we're not going to abandon our program. Your reaction to this?

MR. MCCORMACK: We'll see. We have had a presidential statement which is a request for the Iranian regime to heed the call of the international community. This is the second time that the international community has spoken in a strong, clear voice using the rhetoric of diplomacy. Now, pending a report from the IAEA regarding Iran's nuclear activities in the period from the beginning of March to the end of April, I think that the international community is now at the point that they are looking at what actions, diplomatic actions, that they can take that would send a strong message to the Iranian regime that they need to change their behavior.

So that's the point at which we find ourselves now, that we find ourselves at this point only because the Iranian regime has sought confrontation over diplomacy, sought confrontation over compromise. So we'll see how the regime reacts to an increase in the level of diplomatic pressure. I think that the international community has sent strong, clear messages that it is ready. We are united in this. We are united in the fact that Iran can't be allowed to obtain the means to develop a nuclear weapon.

Anything else on this? Charlie.

QUESTION: I'm slightly confused and would appreciate it if you would straighten it out. Under Secretary Burns has made public statements and maybe other officials have, too, about like-minded nations doing things and you've just made an allusion about countries getting together to do things. And on the other hand, you say we're committed to working within the Security Council. Are we talking two separate things or are we talking everybody coming -- are doing whatever they do through the Security Council?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I think you can talk about both things at the same time, Charlie. Everybody is committed to working through the Security Council path. The Security Council is committed, at this point, to taking up the issue of the IAEA Board of Governors, the IAEA report about Iran's activities. At that meeting, or in and around that meeting, we would expect that they also talk about what actions that they can take.

But we've seen, for example, the EU talking about what steps they may individually -- what steps individually they may take in terms of applying diplomatic leverage to Iran to get them to change their behavior. I would expect that there are other countries, individually, who are considering such measures as well. So consideration of those kinds of individual or collective measures certainly don't preclude also working through the Security Council.

Sue.

QUESTION: During his discussions with the Chinese Deputy Minister or Assistant --

MR. MCCORMACK: Assistant Minister.

QUESTION: Assistant Minister. Did they look at sanctions and whether this was a suitable option, because China so far has not shown a great deal of enthusiasm for sanctions?

MR. MCCORMACK: At this point, Sue, I'm going to withhold from going any further into the exact content of their exchange. I talked to Under Secretary Burns before I came out and he emphasized the fact that it was a very productive and a very good meeting. And I think one indication of that is the fact they met for an hour and a half. And they're going to have a chance to pick up that conversation when they reconvene now in the P-5+1.

China has as much interest as any other country in seeing that Iran doesn't -- isn't able to obtain a nuclear weapon. They are in the neighborhood. So we're going to continue working with the Chinese Government, the Russian Government, as well as others, on how we can act diplomatically together to get Iran to change its behavior.

QUESTION: So why was it productive and good then? What was good about it?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, there were a lot of -- I think that they had a good exchange on where we stand right now. The Assistant Minister was recently in Tehran, so they had a -- were able to exchange notes on where we stand diplomatically, get a read -- to get a read from his -- Under Secretary Burns was able to get a read from his interlocutor on the state of play in Tehran. And again, at this point, I'm not going to get into details of the discussion looking forward, but Under Secretary Burns said that it was a very good and productive discussion.

I have to add that in all of these meetings, whether it's a bi-lat with the Chinese, a P-5+1, or the G-7, G-8 meetings tomorrow, that these meetings are not meetings that are intended to produce decisions. These meetings are intended for the political directors to get together to discuss various options and to start to tee up decisions for capitals in the ministerial level for what diplomatic next steps we take. So the timeline is you have these -- you're having these meetings over this period of two days. You have the IAEA Board of Governors report on April 28th. And then I would -- although a date hasn't been set yet, in early May, I would expect that the Security Council is going to get together to consider that report and also to discuss what diplomatic next steps we can take.

So that period between now and the 28th, I would expect that there's going to be a lot of diplomatic activities refining the possible steps that can be taken in the Security Council, that could be taken individually, to apply that pressure to Iran.

QUESTION: The Secretary said strong steps.

MR. MCCORMACK: Strong steps. Yeah. I think --

QUESTION: Are the Chinese open, at least open -- you know, we all know the history of China's position on sanctions.

MR. MCCORMACK: Right.

QUESTION: Are the Chinese -- did they reveal to Secretary Burns that they were at least open to considering strong steps?

MR. MCCORMACK: I think at this point, Barry, I'm going to let them characterize where they stand and where they stand with respect to considering such steps. I would only say that it was a good discussion.

QUESTION: Sean, a follow-up on Sue's question. I think it was two days ago that you specifically were talking about from the podium that the Moscow meetings would discuss sanctions, sanctions would be tabled or proposed --

MR. MCCORMACK: It's on the table. But I also in that same discussion made it very clear that these meetings were not intended to reach decisions.

QUESTION: Okay.

MR. MCCORMACK: So yeah, those things are on the table.

QUESTION: And specifically you went into a certain specificity, a granularity on it that you hadn't gone before, and you said we want to keep you updated.

MR. MCCORMACK: Right.

QUESTION: So my question is: Can we confirm that what you told us about a couple of days ago, the possibility of assets freezes, travel restrictions, was put on the table and discussed at these meetings?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, with respect to the Chinese meeting, I've gone as far as I'm going to go at this point in time. And right now, actually as we speak, they're meeting in the P-5+1. I think Under Secretary Burns is going to be speaking with the press in Moscow after that dinner. I will also try to get you an update. We can post later on today for exactly what was the content in as much granularity as we can about the P-5+1 meeting.

QUESTION: Okay.

MR. MCCORMACK: Nicholas. And -- same subject?

QUESTION: Yes.

MR. MCCORMACK: Yes, okay. You and then you.

QUESTION: Well, actually…close. Senator --

MR. MCCORMACK: Close?

QUESTION: Mine's close geographically. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: I mean Iran. Senator Christopher Dodd urged personal contacts between and discussions between American and Iranian Government officials, informal since we have no diplomatic relations. Is there any consideration of that route?

MR. MCCORMACK: I took a similar question yesterday with respect to Senator Lugar and we have great respect for Senators Lugar and Senator Dodd. I can only say what we're doing right now, and that is we're working the diplomatic process, we're working the P-5+1, working through the G-7, G-8 and working through the Security Council as well as the IAEA Board of Governors. We have also in the past supported the efforts of the EU-3 in offering the Iranians a diplomatic way out while meeting their desires for a peaceful nuclear program and objective guarantees for the international community. We have supported the efforts of the Russian Government in, again, trying to give the Iranians, the Iranian regime, a diplomatic way out.

Thus far, they have -- those efforts have been met only with rejection, stalling, the salami-slicing tactics. So, you know, it is really incumbent at this point on the Iranian regime to show good faith to the international community. The international community has laid out the various ways that Iran could do that. So it's really upon the -- it's really up to the Iranian regime at this point to meet the conditions laid out by the international community to try to rebuild that trust that has really been eroded to nonexistence at this point.

QUESTION: But those are all indirect contacts and perhaps direct contacts, in view of the fact that the Iranians are a very proud people, might actually explain in greater nuance and subtlety our position and they might be more inclined to respect it, or understand it at least.

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I think that certainly, if they listen to their TVs and radios and read their newspapers, they can understand where we stand on these things. They've had a number of different opportunities working with the international community to take them up on their offers. We are not without channels of communication with the Iranian regime, although we don't have diplomatic relations with them. The Swiss channel, certainly if there's information that needs to be passed through the United Nations Perm Rep, that's certainly an open channel. So there's no shortage of channels of communication if the Iranian regime wants to convey something to us.

Joel. I think Joel is --

QUESTION: Basically, the same subject. Sean, both China and Russia -- sorry, both China and Russia have welcomed Iran into the fold of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the SCO, which has maintained it had no plans for expansion and suddenly, they're having a summit for June 15th. And the group is saying that they're endorsing the Iranian nuclear activities and are against the IAEA picking on Iran. Do you have any comments concerning that?

MR. MCCORMACK: No. I haven't seen those. I haven't seen those plans or comments, Joel. Barry, did you have something?

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QUESTION: Just back to Iran. There's a -- I'm not sure if this came up the other day, but do you know anything about Iranians and other people in Tehran registering to sign up to be a martyr to attack U.S. and British interests in the event of a military attack on Iran? This is being done at the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

MR. MCCORMACK: I haven't seen those reports, Elise, but look, the current regime is -- not demonstrated any willingness to meet the demands of the international community to forego and stop its activities related to terrorism, with respect to pursuit of nuclear weapons or to try to improve the situation for its own people with respect to freedom of expression and human rights.

I think it's a fair observation to look at the statements and the activities of the regime and make a preliminary conclusion that they are trying to use these events to try to stir up, among some parts of the population, an unhealthy nationalism. I think that is intended to distract individuals from the fact that they are increasingly isolated from the rest of the world, distract them from the fact that the human rights and political freedom situation in Iran has taken a turn for the worse and is also seeking to distract them from the fact that this regime is taking this country 180 degrees off from where the rest of the region is headed.

QUESTION: Yeah. But seeking to distract is one thing. I mean, do you believe that Iran is recruiting volunteers to launch terrorist attacks against U.S. and other --

MR. MCCORMACK: I haven't seen that particular activity cited in any reports that I've looked at, Elise. But let me just say that this is a regime that is the central banker for terrorism in the region. It's probably the most significant state sponsor of terrorism in the world today. So does it surprise me that they are engaged in activities that relate to encouraging individuals to take the lives of innocent people abroad, whether those are U.S. citizens or others? No, that doesn't surprise me, certainly, given their track record over the past two decades or more. But I can't confirm that specific fact. I haven't seen those reports.

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