US calling friends, allies on Iran sanctions

[December 29, 2009]  HONOLULU (AP) -- A top national security official says the United States is reaching out to international partners in an effort to build support for a new round of sanctions against Iran's regime.

National Security Council chief of staff Denis McDonough told reporters the administration will revisit its options against Iran in the new year and is gauging the views of U.S. friends and allies about "the next step in the process."

McDonough says both unilateral or United Nations sanctions are options. Earlier in the day, Obama spoke about the flaring violence in Tehran. He praised "the courage and the conviction of the Iranian people" while condemning Iran's Islamic government for attacking demonstrators with "the iron fist of brutality."

[Associated Press]

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