News:Rice Stands By Sanctions On Iran

Source:Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday defended expanded U.S. sanctions on Iran.

"The international community cannot just sit idly by until we face unpalatable choices. A nuclear weapon in the hands of the Iranian regime would be deeply destabilizing in the world's most volatile region," she told the NBC ‘Today’ show.

The United States on Thursday slapped new sanctions on Iran and accused its Revolutionary Guard of spreading weapons of mass destruction. However President Vladimir Putin criticized the move, saying it would force Tehran into a corner over its nuclear program.

Ms Rice acknowledged that Washington and Moscow had some disagreement over tactics and timing regarding Iran, but she said the two countries shared the same basic goal of a non-nuclear Iran.

Some U.S. allies and Democratic critics of President Bush's policies say Washington is being too bellicose.