US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said diplomatic efforts to resolve the standoff with Iran over its nuclear program are "working." Gates made the comments at a news conference with his Israeli counterpart, Amir Peretz. Both the US and Israel accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons - a charge Iran denies. The US has been leading efforts at the United Nations to impose sanctions on Iran. Gates said the diplomatic efforts should be given a chance to succeed. "We agreed it was important to deal with the Iranian nuclear problem through diplomacy, which appears to be working," Gates said. 'These things don't work overnight' Gates noted that the UN Security Council has already passed two resolutions imposing sanctions on Iran for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to develop nuclear weapons. "The international community is united in telling Iran what it needs to do with respect to its nuclear program," he said. "These things don't work overnight, but it seems to me clearly the preferable course to keep our focus on the diplomatic initiatives, and particularly because of the united front of the international community at this point." Peretz said that 2007 would be a critical year for thwarting Iran's nuclear program. "2007 will be a critical year in thwarting Iran's nuclear program," Peretz said. He added that the US and Israel saw eye-to-eye the need for Syria to stop supporting Hizbullah.