Senior US officials will consult allies in Europe next week on ways to intensify pressure on Iran amid suspicions Tehran is trying to evade sanctions by concealing the origin of financial transactions. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday that with Iran becoming "increasingly dangerous," the United States and its allies are discussing new sanctions to further curb Tehran's access to the international financial system.
While Washington is committed to a diplomatic solution, Iran must know "there are coercive elements to our policy as well," Rice said in an interview with Maria Bartiromo on CNBC's "Closing Bell" program. "We are working on financial measures that really will say to the Iranians, 'You cannot use the benefits of the international financial system and continue to pursue a nuclear weapon'," Rice added, according to an official State Department transcript.