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Iraq is not an island, and its future is closely tied to the behavior of its neighbors - for better or for worse. Which brings me to Iran.

For 29 years I have been watching the Iranian government intently, at the Central Intelligence Agency, at the National Security Council, and now at the Department of Defense. My first direct encounter with the leaders of the revolutionary government of Iran was in Algiers in October 1979, just eight months after that government came to power. For 29 years, I have followed this government's words, its promises - mostly hollow - and, more tellingly, its deeds, both overt and covert.

This week, however, marks a watershed. Astonishingly, the revolutionary government of Iran has this week, for the first time, embraced as valid an assessment of the United States intelligence community - on Iran's nuclear weapons program. And since that government now acknowledges the quality of American intelligence assessments, I assume that it will also embrace as valid American intelligence assessments of:

· Its funding and training of militia groups in Iraq;

· Its deployment of lethal weapons and technology to both Iraq and Afghanistan;

· Its ongoing support of terrorist organizations - like Hezbollah and Hamas - that have murdered thousands of innocent citizens; and

· Its continued research and development of medium-range ballistic missiles that are not particularly cost-effective unless equipped with warheads carrying weapons of mass destruction.

In reality, you cannot pick and choose only the conclusions you like of this recent National Intelligence Estimate. The report expresses with greater confidence than ever that Iran did have a nuclear weapons program - developed secretly, kept hidden for years, and in violation of its international obligations. It reports that they do continue their nuclear enrichment program, an essential long lead time component of any nuclear weapons program. It states that they do have the mechanisms still in place to restart their program. And, the estimate is explicit that Iran is keeping its options open and could restart its nuclear weapons program at any time - I would add, if it has not done so already. Although the Estimate does not say so, there are no impediments to Iran restarting its nuclear weapons program - none, that is, but the international community.

Everywhere you turn, it is the policy of Iran to foment instability and chaos, no matter the strategic value or the cost in the blood of innocents - Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike. There can be little doubt that their destabilizing foreign policies are a threat to the interests of the United States, to the interests of every country in the Middle East, and to the interests of all countries within the range of the ballistic missiles Iran is developing.

Considering all this, the international community should demand that the Iranian government come clean about the extent of its past illegal nuclear weapons development. The international community should insist that Iran suspend enrichment. The international community should require that the Iranian government openly affirm that it does not intend to develop nuclear weapons in the future and, further, that it agree to inspection arrangements that will give us all confidence that it is adhering to that commitment.

Let us be realistic.

Although our nations have differing perspectives and histories, we nonetheless share a deep concern about Iran's current course. While we must keep all our options open, the United States and the international community must continue - and intensify - our economic, financial, and diplomatic pressures on Iran to suspend enrichment and to agree to verifiable arrangements that can prevent that country from resuming its nuclear weapons program at a moment's notice - at the whim of its most militant leaders. That should be a matter of grave concern to every government in the world. Let us continue to work together to take the necessary peaceful but effective measures necessary to bring a long-term change of policies in Tehran.

The challenges that I have discussed - and others - require that civilized nations - in the Gulf and worldwide - work together in ways that previously may have seemed unnecessary, or even unwelcome, but that are an absolute necessity today.

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