Clinton condemns Iranian terror plot

The alleged Iranian plot to kill Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States is a 'dangerous escalation' in Iran's support for terrorism and must draw an international response, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Wednesday.

Clinton urged the rest of the world to join Washington in condemning the scheme, which she said violated US and international law as well as Iran's treaty obligations to protect diplomats.

'This kind of reckless act undermines international norms and the international system. Iran must be held accountable for its actions,' Clinton said.

Her remarks at a Washington conference were part of an Obama administration campaign to use the alleged plot as a springboard for increased international condemnation of Iran and perhaps for new sanctions.

'We will work closely with our international partners to increase Iran's isolation and the pressure on its government and we call upon other nations to join us in condemning this threat to international peace and security,' Clinton said.

Her words strongly suggested that the US wants some new action against Iran from the UN Security Council, which has already approved several rounds of mild to moderate sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear program.

The State Department sent a cable to all American embassies and consulates around the world telling them to put the Iran case before their host governments. The officials said the cable, sent late on Tuesday by Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and classified secret, tells them to detail the evidence against Iran as presented by federal prosecutors.

Prosecutors on Tuesday accused Iran of plotting to hire a Mexican drug cartel to kill the Saudi envoy with a bomb attack in Washington. President Barack Obama called it 'a flagrant violation of US and international law.' Iran has denied the charges.

The officials said the cable instructs diplomats to ask nations to consider appropriate steps against Iran in response to the ! alleged scheme. The cable does not suggest any specific measures, the officials said.

At a conference in London, a former Saudi ambassador to Washington, Prince Turki al-Faisal, said Iran 'will have to pay the price' for the plot.

'The burden of proof and the amount of evidence in the case is overwhelming and clearly shows official Iranian responsibility for it,' he said. 'This is unacceptable. Somebody in Iran will have to pay the price, and that price will have to be on the terms acceptable to the norms and practices in Iran and other countries.'

'The idea that they would attempt to go to a Mexican drug cartel to solicit murder-for-hire to kill the Saudi ambassador? Nobody could make that up, right?' Clinton said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, shortly after prosecutors accused two suspected Iranian agents of trying to murder Saudi envoy Adel al-Jubeir.

The purported plan was to carry out the assassination with a bomb attack while al-Jubeir dined at his favourite restaurant.

Obama called al-Jubeir on Tuesday to offer solidarity, the White House said.

Iran's parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, dismissed the US charges as a 'childish game.'

'We have normal relations with the Saudis,' Larijani added. 'There is no reason for Iran to carry out such childish acts.'

In New York, Alireza Miryousefi, head of the press office of the Iranian mission to the United Nations, sent Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon a letter 'to express our outrage' over the allegations.

'The US allegation is, obviously, a politically-motivated move and a showcase of its long-standing animosity toward the Iranian nation,' the letter said.

The State Department late on Tuesday warned Americans around the world of the potential for terrorist attacks against US interests. It said Iranian-sponsored attacks could include strikes in the United States.