A senior US official laid out the Bush administration's policy towards Iran on Thursday, pledging support for pro-democracy movements but stopping short of specifically endorsing "regime change". The official also backed European diplomatic efforts to resolve the nuclear crisis while resisting direct US engagement or providing further incentives.

Nicholas Burns, under secretary of state for political affairs, presented the Senate foreign relations committee with a strongly worded list of demands and complaints that he described as the US "indictment" against Iran.