WASHINGTON -- The U.S. State Department Wednesday stood behind a comment made last week by Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage in which he described Iran as a democracy, AFP reported.

Spokesman Richard Boucher said the Islamic Republic, did indeed display signs of democracy, although he carefully avoided repeating Armitage's exact words.

"Certainly Iran has more democratic flowering than any of the other two governments," mentioned by President George W. Bush as U.S. adversaries, he said when asked about Armitage's remark.

They have held elections, they have had ability to express themselves, he said.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times last week, Armitage said policy had to be attenuated to account for the differences between Iran and other adversaries of the United States.

"I would note that there's one dramatic difference between Iran" and Iraq and North Korea "and that would be they're a democracy, so I think you approach a democracy differently," Armitage said, according to a transcript of his comments provided by the State Department.

He went on to say that the United States still had grave concerns about Iran but said it was unlikely that Washington would push for military action against Tehran. "I wouldn't think that they were next at all."