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Q Now, Iran is saying that they will not discuss this new nuclear plant tomorrow.

MR. GIBBS: They may not, but we will.

Q That was -- I was going to ask -- you're going to bring it up. What do you think about this approach that they're taking?

MR. GIBBS: Well, what is undeniable is that a plant is in -- a plant was constructed in violation of their obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, something they've signed with the IAEA, as well as U.N. Security Council resolutions. We will demand that IAEA inspectors have unfettered access to the facility, to personnel, to documents surrounding the facility. There's no doubt this is in violation of their own obligations to which they're a party.

I think it will show the world, and I think the onus is on the Iranians to show the world, that the program that they have is for -- is a peaceful program to create energy, rather than a secret program for nuclear weapons. I think if you're -- if the Iranians are unwilling to discuss something that should have been reported to the IAEA years ago, I think that's quite telling. But again, I don't want to prejudge. I'll let them do their own talking.

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Q Does the United States believe Iran was trying -- is trying to acquire a nuclear weapon?

MR. GIBBS: I think that there is -- their reticence now for a second time to live up to its international obligations put the onus on the Iranians to tell the world and to demonstrate visibly for the world that their program -- that their -- that they have a peaceful nuclear program designed for power and energy, rather than a secret program to develop a nuclear weapon. That is a question that only the Iranians can answer to the satisfactory nature of the world community.

Q The U.S. government isn't prepared to say that they know the Iranians are --

MR. GIBBS: Well, I'm not going to get into --

Q -- that there seems to be some dispute between intelligence agencies around the world.

MR. GIBBS: And I'm not going to get into discussing intelligence here.

Q On the IAEA, does the U.S. government believe they've gotten enough information that they need from them about what they've done in Iran previously? Have they gotten a full -- have they gotten full cooperation from the IAEA -- the U.S. government -- in getting everything they need?

MR. GIBBS: I'd have to check with somebody as to the exact nature. Again, the onus is on the Iranians to provide full, unfettered access to Qom, to documents, to live up to the international obligations that they've signed. This facility should have been reported to the IAEA at a point in which a decision was made to begin constructing. That has long since passed. The Iranians are going to get a chance to account for the world and be transparent about their program and its intent.

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Q Back to Iran, in terms of sanctions, there's been some reporting on insurance and targeting insurance and reinsurance. What else is the administration considering?

MR. GIBBS: I'm not going to get into what happens a few steps down the road, except I think you've heard the President be very forceful about what the Iranians could face in the event that they don't live up to their obligations. Our focus right now, though, is on Thursday's meeting and hoping that they will live up to those obligations and tell the world.

Q The administration is considering sanctions? I mean, you guys are working on this, this isn't all just premature talk?

MR. GIBBS: No, we're working on it. It's just me talking about it is premature.

Q Could you talk a little more generally then about the need for targeted sanctions as opposed to --

MR. GIBBS: Look, without -- I hate to get into conjecture. Obviously I think what is most important in any step that is taken next in the event that the Iranians don't live up to their obligations is that we do this with the entire international community working together. I think we're at a point through the President's policy of engagement where we're not having a debate about whether or not we should be confronting the Iranians face to face, but instead we've put the onus on the Iranians to discuss their intentions and their program with the world. And we brought our allies, particularly in the P5-plus-1, I think up to a point in which that's all possible.

Yes, sir.

Q Russia's deputy foreign minister says Iran's missile tests shouldn't be used to generate international support for sanctions. Do you agree with that?

MR. GIBBS: Well, Wendell, as I just said yesterday, obviously though the exercises by the Iranians were part of preplanned military activities, I don't think anybody thought that that was a helpful thing heading into serious talks where the onus and responsibility is on them.

Q Senator Kyl also has criticized the decision to go forward with the talks. He says --

MR. GIBBS: We tried that. (Laughter.) We had that policy for six years. It resulted in a whole lot of nothing. The President, through engagement, is at a point in which we are about to confront face-to-face on behalf of the world the intention of the Iranians and their nuclear program. And we'll give them the opportunity to state for the world and to demonstrate through its actions, not just its words, its responsibilities. I think we could go back to what we had for six years, which I think amounted to exceedingly little progress in dealing with the Iranians after it was -- almost seven years after it was known that they had built a massive uranium enrichment plant in the Natanz.

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Q Thank you. On Iran, from a technical standpoint, can you talk a little bit more about what the U.S. vision is, going into Geneva? Are we going to be on our own, or in conjunction with any of our allies, presenting on paper some sort of specific demands or proposals for Iran? Or will it be more of a verbal thing? How long is the U.S. prepared to let the talks go on if one meeting doesn't cut it?

MR. GIBBS: Well, I would hesitate to prejudge the second question.

In terms of the first, I think this is a lot less about what we and the P5-plus-1 have to do; this is a lot more about what the Iranians have to do. I think there's a -- even before Friday's acknowledgment by the Iranians several years belatedly that they had a facility at Qom, there's a pending question about their nuclear program. That program -- that question only got more important with Friday's disclosure. And the onus and the responsibility are clearly on them.

Q From a standpoint of leverage or strategery -- (laughter) -- how do you prod them into that place --

MR. GIBBS: I love how like a "Saturday Night Live" word was just entered into the lexicon of our -- (laughter.) I'm going to curse in a minute, if that's cool. (Laughter.)

Q So the onus is on Iran, but how does the U.S. approach that? Again, can you answer specifically, will there be something on paper that's given to the Iranians, and will the U.S. demands be joint with other countries or --

MR. GIBBS: Let me check on the protocol of whether something is going to be -- I know that Bill Burns, who has worked on this issue for quite some time and was part of the meeting I think it was last June or July -- that occurred in the previous administration in the P5-plus-1 with Iran will be in charge of it for the United States.

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Q Robert, just on Iran, how important, if sanctions are required, would cooperation of the Russians and Chinese be? And can you talk about what your level of confidence is that they'll be with the United States on this?

MR. GIBBS: Well, I wouldn't get, in all honestly, a lot more ahead of what you heard, for instance, President Medvedev say last week after meeting with the President, that we certainly hope that Iran fulfills its obligation and its responsibility. If it doesn't, we'll then look at next steps. And I think what he said is timely.

April.

Q Robert, two questions. One, on Iran, how does gasoline factor into these conversations?

MR. GIBBS: I'm not going to get -- just like I did with Hans, I'm not going to get ahead of getting into -- surmised specifics about sanctions

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