Click to play videoWashington: After Korea, Iran is now worrying the US, days after its secret nuclear facility was discovered, Iran test fired missiles over the weekend. US and Iran are scheduled to meet this week.
Days after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad acknowledged a second uranium enrichment facility, more missile tests have taken place in the country. Iran's foreign minister Hassan Qashqavi said the tests are designed to show the armed forces' defense capabilities.
"To check the precision and the capability these need to be tested," said Qashqavi.
US officials say Iran kept its second nuclear facility secret. They believe Tehran intends to produce nuclear weapons, not energy as the country's leaders claim.
"We have been watching the construction of this facility for quite some time. And one of the reasons that we waited to make it public was to ensure that our conclusions about its purpose were right," said US secretary of defense, Robert Gates.
In his weekly internet address on Saturday, US President Barack Obama said Iran must change course and looked toward key nuclear talks scheduled for Thursday.
"Iran's leaders must now choose. They can live up to their responsibilities and achieve integration with the community of nations. Or they will face increased pressure and isolation, and deny opportunity to their own people," said Obama.
Talk of sanctions against Iran has intensified. Some experts argue sanctions alone may not be enough.
"Sanctions are part of the process. They help give incentives to negotiate, but not to capitulate. So if we put all our eggs in the sanctions basket, we will come up losers," said American politician, Jim Walsh.
US officials are looking to planned nuclear talks with Iran in Geneva on Thursday, where they plan to insist on inspections of the newly disclosed facility.
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