"On the Korean peninsula, we stand with our ally South Korea, and insist that North Korea keeps its commitment to abandon nuclear weapons," Obama said.Washington (ANTARA News/AFP) - US President Barack Obama on Tuesday called on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and hailed pressure on Iran over its own suspect atomic program.
Obama touched briefly on tensions with the two countries in his annual State of the Union address to Congress, which was mostly focused on domestic issues after his Democratic Party lost mid-term elections.
"On the Korean peninsula, we stand with our ally South Korea, and insist that North Korea keeps its commitment to abandon nuclear weapons," Obama said.
"Because of a diplomatic effort to insist that Iran meet its obligations, the Iranian government now faces tougher sanctions, tighter sanctions than ever before."
North Korea, which has tested two nuclear bombs, last year shelled a South Korean border island and was accused of torpedoing a warship, deadly actions that sent tensions soaring on the divided peninsula.
The United States and its European allies have led efforts to tighten sanctions on Iran over its own nuclear program, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes but which the West suspects is meant for nuclear weapons.
(Uu.H-AK/P003)
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