Meanwhile, at the United Nations, the Security Council is preparing to vote on a new resolution threatening sanctions if Iran fails to halt uranium enrichment. On Thursday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice predicted tough consequences for Iranian defiance.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: “I am quite satisfied and quite certain that the resolution that would be adopted will be one that both says to Iran you cannot defy the international community and imposes penalties on Iran for that defiance. I just want to underscore that a Chapter 7 resolution puts Iran in some very unwelcome company in terms of the international community, in terms of the decisions that people will make about Iran as a partner in the international economy, and that, more than anything, is the importance of this resolution.”