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Associated PressWhite House urges patience on Iran By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer
9 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Bush administration officials urged patience with U.S. efforts to crack down on Iran as Democrats leveled fresh criticism of the government's approach.
Officials from the departments of State, Treasury and Commerce told the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday that the administration's multi-pronged plan — relying on diplomacy and financial sanctions to force Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions and to stop bankrolling terrorism — is working.
"Iran is a country very much on the defensive right now," said R. Nicholas Burns, undersecretary for political affairs at the State Department.
The U.S. is leading efforts to slap harsher U.N. sanctions on Tehran for refusing to freeze uranium enrichment. Administration officials said they believed these additional sanctions would soon be adopted, an encouraging sign of international support. They also viewed favorably Russia's decision to put off delivery of enriched uranium fuel it had promised to provide Iran by this month.
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this is one area I think we all can have some patience. :D Guess it's not going so well at the Security Council
Leader says Iran will retaliate if attacked report 36 minutes ago
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday Iran would hit back with everything it has if attacked over its disputed nuclear program, according to provincial television monitored by the BBC.
"If they want to threaten us and use force and violence against us, they should not doubt that Iranian officials will use all they have in their power to deal a blow to those who assault them," he said, according to BBC monitoring of Khorasan provincial television.
Khamenei, who has previously threatened U.S. regional interests if attacked, was speaking in the northeastern city of Mashhad to mark the Iranian new year.
The United Nations Security Council is considering new sanctions against Iran over its refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment program, which the United States suspects is designed to make atom bombs. Tehran denies the charge.
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070321/wl_nm/iran_nuclear_khamenei_dc