London ? Prime Minister Gordon Brown stressed the importance of ties with the United States and outlined foreign policy priorities Monday, pledging to press for tough new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

Brown, who succeeded the staunchly pro-American Tony Blair as prime minister in June, has been closely scrutinized for any sign he wants to reorder the so-called “special relationship” between the two allies. Last month, he said Britain will halve its remaining force of 5,000 troops in Iraq by next spring.

In a speech before the annual Lord Mayor’s banquet, however, the prime minister said the world was a better place when the U.S. and Britain acted together.

“It is no secret that I am a lifelong admirer of America. I have no truck with anti-Americanism in Britain or elsewhere in Europe,” Brown said. “I believe that our ties with America – founded on values we share – constitute our most important bilateral relationship.”