. >> he will join us tomorrow on "washington journal" with bob chieffer. thursday, tom ridge is the guest. "washington journal" begins at 7:00 eastern every morning. this portion of today's briefing is about 30 minutes from the state department. -- 13 minutes from the state department. >> did the ayatollah set back the talks with the regime, this seemed very hostile to the west. >> i think -- you know the policy about engagement, the policy about preventing iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. the focus will have to be on what is happening in iran. this is not about us or the bilateral relationship. this is about the people of iran and they have the rights to express themselves, and be respected. the political will being respected. the president made a very strong statement, standing very firmly behind those who want to have their view respected and peaceably assemble, to have access to the media, and so right now, the focus is on this very dramatic situation. >> this situation is unfolding in a country that the obama administration has been attempting to