Bush said that Irans religious theocracy was repressing its people, adding that the rule of law had to be upheld and state institutions had to be accountable.
The same is true of Iran, a nation now held hostage by a small clerical elite that is isolating and repressing its people, he said.
The U.S. president also accused Tehran of supporting terrorism in the Middle East. The regime in that country sponsors terrorists in the Palestinian territories and in Lebanon — and that must come to an end.
Highlighting Irans nuclear ambitions, Bush said that the Islamic Republic was defying the world. The nations of the world must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons. America will continue to rally the world to confront these threats.
In a personal address to the people of Iran, Bush said, America respects you, and we respect your country. We respect your right to choose your own future and win your own freedom. And our nation hopes one day to be the closest of friends with a free and democratic Iran.
He listed Iran alongside Syria, Burma, Zimbabwe, and North Korea, accusing them of being undemocratic.
Our offensive against terror involves more than military action. Ultimately, the only way to defeat the terrorists is to defeat their dark vision of hatred and fear by offering the hopeful alternative of political freedom and peaceful change. So the United States of America supports democratic reform across the broader Middle East.
