Congressional Quarterly:

State Department Official Downplays Iran's Strategic Influence

On the same day Iran test-fired missiles in a show of force in the Persian Gulf, the Bush administration Wednesday sought to downplay the country's power and influence.

"For its part, Tehran seems to relish heightening concerns by promoting the illusion that Iran is on the ascendance," Undersecretary of State William Burns said in prepared testimony for the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "However, Iran is not 10 feet tall, nor is it even the dominant regional actor.

CNN:

Leading diplomat calls Iran a top concern for U.S.

Iran is as serious a problem as any the U.S. faces today, top State Department official William Burns said Wednesday, hours after the Islamic republic test-fired a long-range missile.

Burns, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, made the comments testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.