Bush will not rule out military action in Iran

WASHINGTON - US President George W. Bush said yesterday he would not rule out military action against Iran if that country was not more forthcoming about its suspected nuclear weapons programme.

"I hope we can solve it diplomatically, but I will never take any option off the table," Bush said in an interview with NBC News when asked if he would rule out military action against Iran "if it continues to stonewall the international community about the existence of its nuclear weapons programme".

Iran denies it is trying to make nuclear weapons and says its nuclear programme is only for electricity.

Bush's comments followed Pentagon criticism yesterday of a report that it was mounting reconnaissance missions inside Iran to identify potential nuclear and other targets.

Journalist Seymour Hersh's New Yorker article was "so riddled with errors of fundamental fact that the credibility of his entire piece is destroyed", chief Pentagon spokesman Lawrence DiRita said.

Hersh reported that Bush had authorised covert operations against suspected terrorist targets in as many as 10 nations in the Middle East and South Asia.

- REUTERS