'US not planning military action'

Washington: Defence Secretary Robert Gates insisted again on Friday that, despite persistent reports to the contrary circulating in Washington and around the world, the United States is not planning military action against Iran.

"I don't know how many times the president, Secretary [of State Condoleezza] Rice and I have had to repeat that we have no intention of attacking Iran," an exasperated Gates told reporters at a Nato meeting in Spain. In fact, he said, the administration has consciously tried to ‘tone down' its rhetoric on the subject.

Similar statements in recent weeks by President Bush, Rice and others follow a high-level policy assessment in January that US and multilateral pressure on Tehran, to the surprise of many in the administration, might be showing signs of progress.