高中英语 voa常速听力2012年09月合辑文本tensions-rising-again-over-irans-nuclear-program素材.docVIP

VOA常速英语听力2012年09月合辑（文本）：Tensions-Rising-Again-Over-Irans-Nuclear-Program WASHINGTON — Tensions are again rising in the Persian Gulf over Iran’s nuclear program as the U.S. moves additional ships and warplanes to the region as negotiations that could avert a possible military confrontation remain stalled. The threat of an Israeli strike on Iran appears to be growing as Tehran continues to ignore U.N. Security Council resolutions calling on Iran to stop enriching uranium. The United States is moving significant military firepower to the Persian Gulf and is increasing the number of fighter planes that could strike deep into Iran if the country moves to build a nuclear bomb. Analysts say the time is fast approaching when Israeli leaders must decide whether to launch strikes against Iran, a move that could explode the already fragile Middle East. 揟he clock is certainly ticking faster because the diplomacy clock, unfortunately, is ticking very slowly,?said Patrick Clawson, an expert on Iran at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The U.S. and 25 nations will hold the largest minesweeping exercise in history later this month in the Gulf where Iran is threating to block the Strait of Hormuz, the corridor for a fifth of the world抯 oil. Tehran is planning to hold its own war games as a clear warning against an attack. The country抯 supreme leader says its nuclear aims are peaceful and that Iran will not build a bomb. All the while the International Atomic Energy Agency says centrifuges are being added at an underground site as U.N. inspectors are blocked from a military base where weapons-related research may have occurred. IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano is frustrated. 揥e need to stop going around in circles discussing process,?Amano said. Sanctions on Iran抯 oil industry are beginning to cripple the economy, and the value of its currency is plummeting. The Obama administration says this leaves time for more diplomacy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netany