U.S. Eying 'All Options' On Iran

(CBS/AP)  In a stern warning to Iran, President George W. Bush said "all options are on the table" if Iran refuses to comply with international demands to halt its nuclear program, noting he has already used force to secure the United States.

Mr. Bush's statement in an interview with Israeli TV broadcast late Friday was unusually harsh. Mr. Bush has supported using diplomacy to halt Iran's nuclear program, and U.N. Security Council sanctions should other diplomatic efforts fail.

In the interview, Mr. Bush said the United States and Israel "are united in our objective to make sure that Iran does not have a weapon."

But, he said, if diplomacy fails "all options are on the table. The use of force is the last option for any President. You know, we've used force in the recent past to secure our country."

Tehran decided earlier this week to resume uranium conversion at its nuclear facility in Isfahan, leading the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency to issue a warning to Iran.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board of directors expressed "serious concern" Thursday over Iran's resumption of nuclear activities that could lead to an atomic bomb.

Tehran also faces a deadline next month to stop uranium conversion at a plant in central Iran.

Diplomats speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the proceedings publicly said Tehran faced a Sept. 3 deadline to stop uranium conversion or face another possible referral to the Security Council, which has the power to impose crippling sanctions.

Mr. Bush welcomed the warning issued by the IAEA, which signaled that the West wants to give diplomacy time to ease the standoff.

But all of the United States' concerns weren't appeased, CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst Pamela Falk said.

"The IAEA solution does not resolve Washington's fears about Iran's motives," said Falk, "and the downside is that the IAEA is back to 'square one' six months from now. But the upside is that the compromise keeps Iran from walking away from the non-proliferation treaty, as North Korea has done, and allows Iran to reverse course on its threats of confrontation."

Still, Iran, which insists its nuclear program is peaceful and geared only toward generating electricity, responded with indignation to the IAEA warning.

• 1
• 2
• Next Page »