Madeleine Albright: Iran sanctions working

(CBS News) Looking ahead to U.N. talks next week, former Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton Madeleine Albright, said sanctions against Iran are working.

"The P-5 Plus 1 (U.S., Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany), they are going to keep pushing Iran, and I think that the sanctions are working because we hear an awful lot about problems within the Iranian economy," she said on "CBS This Morning."

"But ultimately, we're going to have to see what our policy is," she added. "As the president has said, containment is not enough. And all options are on the table. But these are important talks because they do have to be a multilateral push to isolate Iran internationally."

Turning to the turmoil in Syria, "CBS This Morning" co-host Charlie Rose asked Albright about reporting that the Obama administration may reconsider its past decision to not arm the rebels. Albright said when you're in office, it's best to follow the situation and make a decision. But that decision is what she called "a rolling decision."

"I think they're watching it very, very carefully," she said. "... And what's been amazing is the amount of aid that the U.S. government has given to Syria, nonlethal aid."

Newly-minted Secretary of State John Kerry, who takes over the seat vacated by Hillary Clinton, will be very important in dealing with Syria and potentially arming the rebels, Albright said.

Asked if it was the right decision not to arm the rebels earlier, Albright said, "I think it was. I think it was done very carefully with the idea that there are a lot of arms in there. But I do think it's also correct to keep looking at these decisions because the situation changes. ... I don't know exactly where Secretary Kerry is going, but obviously he knows a great deal about the subject. And his views will be very, very important in all of this."

Albright is the author of "Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948." For discussion about her book, as well as what secretary of state withdrawal is like, watch her full "CTM" appearance in the video above.