Clinton previews 'virtual embassy' in Iran

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday the United States is setting up a "virtual embassy" in Iran to circumvent the country's "electronic curtain."

"What we are going to do despite the fact that we do not have diplomatic relations is I am going to announce the opening of a virtual embassy in Tehran," Clinton told Voice of America. "The Web site will be up and going at the end of the year. We're going to continue to reach out particularly to students and encourage that you come back and study in the United States. And we're going to look for other people-to-people exchanges."

Clinton added there are "reasons for regret on both sides" in the troubled history of U.S.-Iranian relations over the past 50 years and the United States would like to "forge a new relationship."

She also expressed concern that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps is getting increasingly involved in government and cautioned Iranians about their country becoming a military dictatorship.

"The Quds force and other elements of the security establishment taking financial stakes or taking over certain economic enterprises -- that's part of what I mean about our seeing that there seems to be a moving toward a more military takeover in effect in Iran," Clinton said.