Iran Fires, Candidates React

First, here's the grim news out of Tehran:

Iran test-fired nine missiles on Wednesday and warned the United States and Israel it was ready to retaliate if they attacked the Islamic Republic over its disputed nuclear projects.

Washington, which says Iran seeks atomic bombs, told Tehran to halt further tests if it wanted the world to trust it. Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer, insists its nuclear program aims only at generating electricity.

Now, here is how the presidential candidates responded.

John McCain:

Iran's missile tests also demonstrate the need for effective missile defense now and in the future, and this includes missile defense in Europe as is planned with the Czech Republic and Poland. Working with our European and regional allies is the best way to meet the threat posed by Iran, not unilateral concessions that undermine multilateral diplomacy.

Barack Obama:

What this underscores is the need for a clear policy that is putting the burden on Iran to change behavior. And frankly, we just have not been able to do that the last several years, partly because we're not engaged in direct diplomacy.

So the argument between McCain and Obama is, once again, about diplomacy. McCain doesn't want to talk directly to Iran, Obama does. McCain would continue the Bush strategy of attempting to isolate Iran while building up a missile defense shield in Europe, further angering the Russian government--the one ally who might really have some leverage in this situation. On the other hand, Obama's belief that face-to-face talks will solve the problem may prove more than a tad over-optimistic.

In short, this is a sticky problem with no clear answers. It's also worth keeping in mind that, despite the president's assertions, our own government doesn't agree as to whether or not Iran is trying to produce nuclear weapons.