WarSclerotic

Obama’s remarks came as Iran indicated it would not ship its low-enriched uranium to Russia for processing, the centerpiece of deal aimed at a peaceful resolution to Iran’s contested nuclear program.

“They have been unable to get to yes, and so as a consequence, we have begun discussions with our international partners about the importance of having consequences,” Obama said in a brief news conference with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

Obama did not elaborate on the nature of any new sanctions, which would require the commitment of international support that is not yet clear.

Earlier on Thursday, Iran’s foreign minister dismissed the possibility of sanctions over Tehran’s rejection of a deal to send enriched uranium abroad for further processing.

“Sanction was the literature of the 60s and 70s,” Manouchehr Mottaki said at a news conference during a visit to the Philippines.

“I think they are wise enough not to repeat failed experiences,” he said, speaking through an interpreter. “Of course it’s totally up to them.”

Iran’s ISNA news agency quoted Mottaki on Wednesday as rejecting the draft deal brokered by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The IAEA had said Iran should send some 75 percent of its low-enriched uranium to Russia and France, where it would be turned into fuel for a Tehran medical research reactor.

The decision is expected to anger the United States and its allies, which had called on Iran to accept a deal which aimed to delay Tehran’s potential ability to make bombs by at least a year by divesting Iran of most of its enriched uranium.

Mottaki reiterated that Tehran was willing to discuss the deal but only if the swap of enriched uranium for nuclear fuel took place within Iran.

“Iran raises its readiness in order to have further talks within the framework which is presented,” he said.

“It’s not our proposal to have a swap,” he added. “They raised such a proposal and we described and talked about how it could be operationalised.”

On Wednesday, Mottaki told the ISNA students’ news agency that Iran could not afford to send its uranium to be enriched outside the country, as the UN proposed deal stipulates.

“Surely we will not send our 3.5 percent fuel abroad but can review swapping it simultaneously with nuclear fuel inside Iran,” Mottaki told .

The United States has rejected Iranian calls for amendments and further talks on the deal and U.S. President Barack Obama said time was running out for diplomacy to resolve a dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.

Mottaki criticized the United States for pressuring Iran to accept the deal.

“Diplomacy is not black or white. Pressuring Iran to accept what they want is a non-diplomatic approach,” Mottaki said.

Mottaki did not say what would happen to the low-enriched fuel it was prepared to swap, but authorities have said in the past that it could be stockpiled in Iran under IAEA supervision.

“Our experts will tell us how much fuel was needed to be swapped. We do not accept their experts’ views,” Mottaki said