The official, speaking at a briefing organized by the White House on condition that he not be named, scoffed at concerns that Washington might use force against Iran after invading Iraq 22 months ago.
“I’ve noticed that many people don’t pay attention to the words the president has used, in which he has demonstrated time, after time, after time that he believes that diplomacy, working with our European allies, is the most effective way,” to defuse the situation, the aide said.
Bush, who delivers the annual address late Wednesday, “will continue to make that clear, not only in the State of the Union,” but in future remarks, said the official.
Those comments came after Washington appeared over the past few weeks to harden its line towards Tehran, which it accuses of conducting a covert program to develop nuclear weapons.
Last month Bush said he could not rule out using force if Tehran failed to rein in its nuclear plans, and US Vice President Dick Cheney said Iran was “right at the top of the list” of global trouble spots.
Cheney also warned that Israel might launch a pre-emptive strike on its own to shut down Iran’s nuclear program.
And The New Yorker magazine reported that US commandos have been operating inside Iran since mid-2004, secretly scouting targets for possible air strikes. The Pentagon dismissed the article as “riddled with errors.”
