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U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Sunday urged the international community to do more presison on Iran to stop its nuclear program.

“If the international community banded together to pressure the Iranian government, I believe that sanctions and pressure can still walk,” Gates said in Rome after meeting with his Italian counterpart Ignazio La Russa.

Mr. Gates has held the remarks after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ordered Sunday the start of production of highly enriched uranium in Iran.

But Ahmadinejad said that Iran was ready agreement on the exchange of nuclear fuel with the world powers.

Ahmadinejad made the announcement two days after the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Manouchehr Mottaki has said Tehran wanted to reach an agreement on the transfer of uranium to the world power in the near future.

But the United States and Germany said Saturday they saw no sign of the concession from Iran on its nuclear program, and they could opt for increased pressure on Tehran.