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LONDON: After talks with President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised tougher measures in Iran and Afghanistan, saying that Britain would freeze the assets of Iran's biggest bank and increase its troop strength in Afghanistan.

Appearing with Bush at a news conference, he sought to speak directly to the Iranian people, saying that Tehran's refusal to resolve international concerns over its nuclear activities would only lead to further isolation. Specifically, he said, the sanctions would be designed to freeze the assets of Iran's biggest bank, Bank Melli. "We will take action today that will freeze the overseas assets of the biggest bank in Iran, the Melli bank, and secondly, action will start today for a new phase of sanctions on oil and gas," he said, without elaborating.

For his part, Bush refused to rule out any action in Iran, saying "all options" were on the table — a formula he has used that has been interpreted as not precluding military strikes.

Brown said that Britain would "do everything possible to maintain the dialogue" with Iran over its nuclear program. "But we are also clear that if Iran continues to ignore United Nations resolutions and continues to ignore our offers of partnership, we have no choice but to intensify sanctions."

On Iran and Afghanistan, Brown put himself squarely behind Bush, who is ending a weeklong visit to Europe that has focused on the confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program. The two men also expressed solidarity on Iraq, a war whose unpopularity in Britain and the United States has led to calls for more rapid withdrawals that both leaders have resisted.

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Photos Courtesy of Carl De Souza/The Associated Press

Original Source: International Herald Tribune