In a stern warning to Iran, US 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 US.
Bush's statement in an interview with Israeli TV broadcast late on Friday was unusually harsh. He has supported using diplomacy to halt Iran's nuclear program, and UN Security Council sanctions should other diplomatic efforts fail.
In the interview with state-owned Israel Channel One TV, Bush said the US and Israel "are united in our objective to make sure that Iran does not have a weapon."
Asked if that included the use of force, Bush replied: "As I say, all options are on the table. The use of force is the last option for any president and you know, we've used force in the recent past to secure our country."
Iran angered the EU and the US by resuming uranium conversion at the Isfahan plant last Monday after rejecting an EU offer of political and economic incentives in return for giving up its nuclear program.
Tehran says it aims only to produce electricity and denies Western accusations it is seeking a nuclear bomb.
Speaking from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, the US president made it clear that he still hoped for a diplomatic solution, noting that EU powers Britain, Germany and France had taken the lead in dealing with Iran.
Washington last week expressed a willingness to give negotiations on Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program more time before getting tougher with the country.
"In all these instances we want diplomacy to work and so we're working feverishly on the diplomatic route and we'll see if we're successful or not," Bush said.
Bush has also previously said that the US has not ruled out the possibility of military strikes. But US officials have played down media speculation earlier this year they were planning military action.
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said on Friday that negotiations were still possible with Iran on condition the Iranians suspend their nuclear activities.
The governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) unanimously called on Iran on Thursday to halt sensitive atomic work.
Douste-Blazy said the next step would be on Sept. 3 when IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei reports on Iran's activities.
If Iran continues to defy global demands, another IAEA meeting will likely be held, where both Europe and Washington will push for a referral to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.
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