Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Thursday that Washington had no plans "at the moment" to take military action to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons.
The United States has been pressing Russia to end its support for Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes.
"We are concerned about what Iran is doing. We believe Russia also has concerns. We will work with the international community to persuade Iran that they should not move in this direction," Powell told Ekho Moskvy radio station on the last day of a visit to Russia.
"But it's not a matter for the armed forces of the United States at the moment," he added.
Powell, who met with Russian president Vladimir Putin Wednesday to discuss Iraq and other issues, said the two countries had not yet agreed on the wording of a new U. N. resolution that would lift economic sanctions against Iraq.
"We have described our positions to each other," Powell said at the Kremlin. "There are outstanding issues." (Albawaba.com)
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