Obama: Door To Diplomacy Open 'Should Iran Choose To Walk Through It'

President Obama speaks to the United Nations General Assembly Thursday at U.N. headquarters in New York.

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In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly this morning, President Obama noted Iran is "the only party to the [Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] that cannot demonstrate the peaceful intentions of its nuclear program, and those actions have consequences."

As you may remember, in June, the U.N. Security Council voted in favor of new sanctions against the country.

Yesterday, during an interview with NPR's Neal Conan, Amb. Susan Rice said that the U.S. continues to have a "dual-track policy" with Iran, meaning there is "pressure on the one hand and negotiations and engagement on the other."

The purpose of sanctions are not to be an end in themselves to change the calculus of the Iranian regime so that they see that it is in their interest to negotiate seriously about ending their nuclear program. And as the pressure increases, we think they are giving more serious consideration to diplomacy.

Today, the president reiterated that position: "The United States and the international community seek a resolution to our differences with Iran, and the door remains open to diplomacy should Iran choose to walk through it."

But the Iranian government must demonstrate a clear and credible commitment and confirm to the world the peaceful intent of its nuclear program.