Washington ? Iran’s hard-line government, accused by the Bush administration of harboring top al-Qaida members, poses a big problem for the United States and should be replaced, lawmakers said Sunday.

Democrats and Republicans urged extreme care in working toward that end, in order to avoid fomenting an anti-American reaction among Iranians who admire the U.S. way of life.

In Tehran, Iran’s foreign minister insisted his country did not and would not shelter al-Qaida terrorists, and even has jailed some members of Osama bin Laden’s network and plans to prosecute them.

“Iran has been the pioneer in fighting al-Qaida terrorists, who have been posing threats to our national interests,” Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told the government’s Tehran Television. “Iran was al-Qaida’s enemy before the U.S.”

The Washington Post reported Sunday that the administration had cut off contacts with Iran and “appears ready to embrace an aggressive policy of trying to destabilize the Iranian government.”

Asked about the report, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said: “No, our policy continues to be the same.” The United States insists that Iran stop supporting terrorists and end illicit weapons programs, he said. “Iran knows what it needs to do,” he said.

Worry about possible activities of senior al-Qaida operatives thought to be in Iran was a factor in raising the domestic terror alert level in the United States last week, officials have said. Those operatives are suspected of being connected to the recent bombings in Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

“There’s no question but that there have been and are today senior al-Qaida leaders in Iran, and they are busy,” Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said last week.

Nonetheless, U.S. officials are finding ways of communicating with Iranian officials “on subjects that are important to us,” the State Department said last week.

Lawmakers in favor of a new government in Iran did not advocate a military solution.

Rep. Jane Harman of California, ranking Democrat on Goss’ committee, said she considered Iran “more of a clear and present danger than Iraq last year” but wanted a diplomatic focus.