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Q Two things. On the proposal from the Iranians this week, is it your view that this slows up the drive toward sanctions? I know that you guys are proceeding, but do you think there needs to be a pause to weigh the Iranian proposal before going forward?

MR. GIBBS: No. Again, we -- I think Susan Rice outlined a consensus proposal that the P5-plus-1 have worked on for many months, after the agreement and proposal that was discussed by the Iranians, the Turks and the Brazilians. I think it's important to understand that the proposal that Iran says they've entered into now is less than what they agreed to eight months ago. They did not agree to, as they had in October, sit down with the P5-plus-1 to have a broader, fuller discussion about Iran's nuclear program. They have not agreed to provide unfettered access to nuclear facilities such as Qom. And the proposal does not address in any form the increased enrichment that Iran said it was undertaking in order to provide material for their research reactor.

So while we acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of the Turks and the Brazilians, I think it is important to understand that that agreement alone does not address -- or that proposal alone in its limited form does not fully address all of the concerns that the P5-plus-1 and the larger international community have with Iran's nuclear program. And, again, I'd point to the things that Iran agreed to eight months ago that are left out of this proposal.

Q Is there an effort afoot to get them to expand the parameters of their proposal? For instance, did that come up in the President's conversation with Prime Minister Erdogan?

MR. GIBBS: I have -- I will check on whether that came up with Prime Minister Erdogan or not. Again, there are responsibilities that the Iranians have and that they must undertake. While the proposal that was outlined on Monday would be a step in the right direction because of the amount of low-enriched uranium that would be transferred -- again, assuming that the Iranians kept up their end of the deal, which has not -- has almost never been the case -- we have had eight months of progression. That progression has included increased enrichment. And the proposal, again, fails to live up to even what they wanted to do just eight months ago.

Q Is there any point then in getting the Turks and the Brazilians to try to press for some changes --

MR. GIBBS: Well, look, again, I think the role that they -- again, I would again acknowledge the role that they played in trying to get Iran to live up to its obligations. I think the international community, by releasing the consensus of the P5-plus-1 after that, understands that -- the international community understands that there is more that has to be done.

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