A U.S. daily says the Barack Obama administration will try a carrot-and-stick approach toward nations such as North Korea, Pakistan and Iran.

The Wall Street Journal said Wednesday that Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have offered conciliatory language to some of Washington's adversaries.

Obama and Clinton said they will seek greater diplomatic engagement with Iran and indicated they favor a more direct approach with North Korea, a move long resisted by the Bush administration.

The report said such moves suggest Obama is presenting North Korean, Iranian and Pakistani leaders with a choice: respond positively to diplomatic outreach and potentially receive American aid and recognition in return, or maintain current policies and face sanctions or military force.

Last week, the White House said through its Web site that the U.S. will "use tough diplomacy, backed by real incentives and real pressures, to eliminate fully and verifiably North Korea's nuclear weapons program.”