Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said progress is being made in Afghanistan and expressed confidence that by the end of the year it will become clear the right strategy has been implemented there. Gates acknowledged that there has been an increase in violence, "We warned everybody that as we went into areas that the Taliban had controlled for two or three years, that our casualties would grow." Gates also expressed confidence that the Afghan army will be ready to assume primary responsibility in areas of Afghanistan next summer, when the July 2011 date to begin assessing a US troop drawdown begins. "The reality is the Afghan national army is meeting expectations and above that," Gates said. Gates added that the pace of a troop drawdown next year will be based on conditions on the ground and "determined by General McChrystal, the NATO senior civilian representative, Ambassador Sedwill, and the Afghan government together, in terms of making their recommendation." Gatessaid he thinks the new UN sanctions imposed on Iran,"together with diplomatic pressures and a variety of other things that are going on," presents "a reasonable chance of getting the Iranian regime finally to come to their senses and realize their security is probably more endangered by going forward than by stopping." Gates emphasized that the policy of the US is that a nuclear Iran is not acceptable and while all options are on the table, with regards to possible US action against Iran, he thinks "we have some time to continue working this problem."