US President George W Bush says he was saddened by the civilian deaths that follow a deadly shootout in Baghdad involving a US security firm.
Eleven Iraqi civilians died when guards from the Blackwater company opened fire in a busy Baghdad square on Sunday.
Blackwater says its guards acted in self-defence, but this has been disputed by Iraqi eyewitnesses.
Mr Bush urged a White House news conference to wait for the results of an investigation into the incident.
"Obviously to the extent innocent life was lost, I'm saddened. Our objective is to protect innocent life," he said.
"I want to find out the facts about exactly what took place there," he added.
Blackwater, which has a contract to provide security to all US state department employees in Iraq, has been ordered by Baghdad to stop its activities in the country pending the outcome of the investigation.
Iran diplomacy
In a wide-ranging news conference, Mr Bush spoke on a wide range of issues.
On Iran, he said he was hopeful that diplomatic means could persuade Tehran to give up its nuclear ambitions.
"We are working... to send a consistent message to the Iranians that there is a better way forward for them than isolation"
Referring to recent pressure on Iran by the French government of President Nicolas Sarkozy, Mr Bush said that the pressure on Tehran would continue.
"We are working with our allies in France to send a consistent message to the Iranians that there is a better way forward for them than isolation."
He also defended a decision by authorities in New York to reject a request from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to visit Ground Zero, the site of the 11 September 2001 attacks.
"I would understand why they would not want somebody that's running a country that's a state sponsor of terrorism down there at the site," he said.
Mr Bush spoke out for the first time about a case in Jena, Louisiana, in which six black teenagers were initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate.
"The events in Louisiana have saddened me," he said. "I understand the emotions."
He said the FBI was monitoring the situation, adding: "All of us in America want there to be, you know, fairness when it comes to justice."
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