Clinton Iranian Opportunity for Engagement Limited

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States remains ready to engage with Iran, but warned that the opportunity will "not remain open indefinitely."

In excerpts of a speech to be delivered Wednesday in Washington, Clinton said the time for Iran to act is now.

She said the United States watched the energy of Iran's election with "great admiration," but was "appalled" by the government's violent crackdown against demonstrators protesting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election. She said the government tried to hide its actions by arresting foreign nationals, expelling journalists and cutting off access to technology. She described those actions as "deplorable and unacceptable."

Clinton said the past U.S. refusal to deal with Iran has not succeeded in stopping Tehran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon, reducing Iranian support for terror, or improving Iran's treatment of its citizens. She said Iran can become a "constructive actor" in the region if it stops threatening its neighbors and supporting terrorism.

On other topics in the speech, to be delivered at the Council on Foreign Relations, the top U.S. diplomat said America's security and prosperity are being affected by a number of foreign policy issues, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the global recession, climate change, and the threat of extremism and nuclear proliferation.

She said America's willingness to engage in diplomacy is not a sign of weakness. She warned the United States will not hesitate to defend itself and its allies when necessary -- which she said is not a threat, but a promise to the American people.