Bush Won’t Rule Out Military Action Against Iran

President Bush said in an interview broadcast Saturday that he might consider using force as a last resort if Iran did not halt its nuclear program.

But German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, a prominent opponent of the Iraq war, said later, “Let’s take the military option off the table. We have seen it doesn’t work.”

Schroeder spoke at an election rally Saturday in his home city of Hanover in what appeared to be a reference to Bush’s remarks.

Iran angered the European Union and the United States by restarting operations at the Esfahan plant Monday after rejecting an EU offer of political and economic incentives to give up its nuclear program. The plant is used for uranium conversion.

Tehran says it aims to produce electricity only and denies Western accusations that it seeks a nuclear bomb.

Bush, at his ranch near Crawford, Texas, was asked in the interview with Israel’s state-owned Channel One television whether possible options included the use of force.

“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,” he said.

It was not the first time Bush had made such a statement.

In a February news conference in Brussels, the president dismissed speculation that any military action against Iran was planned. But he added, “Having said that, all options are on the table.”

Washington last week expressed a willingness to give negotiations on Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program more time, and Bush made it clear in the interview that he still hoped for a diplomatic solution.

“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.

The governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency unanimously called on Iran on Thursday to halt sensitive atomic work.

In Vienna, where the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency is based, diplomats said Iran faced a Sept. 3 deadline to stop uranium conversion or face possible referral to the U.N. Security Council, which has the power to impose crippling sanctions. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the IAEA board’s proceedings.

It is unclear whether any move toward sanctions would succeed. Russia and China have close ties to Iran and could veto such a resolution.