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Cheney Warns Iran at Conference

Speaking at a conference in Washington being held by the pro-Israel lobbying group the America-Israel Public Affairs Committee on Tuesday, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said Iran will not be allowed to have nuclear weapons. Cheney said that Tehran faces "meaningful consequences" if it continues ignoring the objections of other nations over its nuclear program. VP Cheney said in his address to AIPAC that the U.S. is considering all options, including military force, in order to stop Iran from making nuclear weapons.

"The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course the international community is prepared to impose meaningful consequences," said Cheney. "For our part, the United States is keeping all options on the table. We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon."

His comments come as the International Atomic Energy Agency was to meet in Vienna to discuss Iran`s resumption of uranium enrichment, a move that could lead to UN Security Council sanctions. There were early reports that a possible deal to carry out enrichment in Russia had been put on the table, but Russia`s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov denied any new deals. Russia and China are currently opposed to placing sanctions on Iran as they are close economic partners.