Arab world must confront Iran, says Clinton

Abu Dhabi: US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is accusing Iran of trying to foment new conflict in the Middle East to distract attention from its nuclear program.

She says the Arab world must reject such attempts, sharpen enforcement of sanctions, and back Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Clinton told a pan-Arab television talk show on Monday that sanctions against Iran have slowed its progress in developing nuclear weapons. But she said the world has to keep up the pressure. She says that if Iran is able to produce a nuclear weapon, it will spark a disastrous arms race in the region.

At the start of a three-nation tour of the Arabian Gulf, Clinton also said Arab countries in particular should work to build confidence between Israel and the Palestinians so that stalled peace talks can resume.