Bush wants diplomatic solution to Iran nuclear issue

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President George W. Bush said on
Friday he wanted to solve the Iran nuclear issue diplomatically
and peacefully.

He spoke on the day the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy
Agency was issuing a report on Iran’s nuclear program. The
report said Tehran had ignored a U.N. Security Council call to
suspend all nuclear fuel enrichment and had accelerated the
program, diplomats said in Vienna.

After a meeting at the White House with Azeri President
Ilham Aliyev, Bush said, “I assured the president of my desire
to solve this problem diplomatically and peacefully.”

It was not clear if Bush, who has not ruled out military
action against Iran, was yet aware of the contents of the IAEA
report. The document was being sent to the U.N. Security
Council, which could impose sanctions against Iran.

Aliyev earlier this week ruled out any role for Azerbaijan
if the United States decided to take any military action
against Iran.