The elimination of these ministers "deprived" Iran "of her most dynamic figures.

"Offering Iran a supply of fuel is a positive step, which we welcome, but this must not deprive Iran of its right to nuclear technology for peaceful reasons," he said.

Those in Iran who want the country to continue its enrichment-related activities could fault it for depriving Iran of what is widely considered a sovereign right.

But Mr. Tarnoff suggested that a ban on dealings with American companies would not deprive Iran of revenue, it would only deprive American companies of profit.

"But if the question is of depriving Iran of its rights, that is not negotiable."

At another, he said that Washington "has used the existing international mechanisms in order to take a step-by-step approach towards depriving Iran of its nuclear capability, even power generation."

The effect will be to deprive Iran of billions of dollars of oil revenues, striking at the central pillar of the country's finances.

Such a strike would be "absolutely bonkers," he said, noting that it would not deprive Iran of the technological expertise to pursue any nuclear ambitions.

The longer-term goal is to deprive Iran of an opportunity to extend its influence in the region.

Mr. Christopher argued that the United States should take the lead in depriving Iran, an outlaw country, of the financial resources it needed to develop nuclear weapons or to sponsor terrorist activities.