The United States reiterated yesterday that it will seek a diplomatic
solution to Iran's nuclear issue after the New Yorker magazine reported that the
Bush administration had shifted emphasis in possible war with Iran.
"The president has said that he believes there is a diplomatic solution that
we can use to solve the Iranian problem. And that's why we're working with our
allies to get there," White House press secretary Dana Perino said.
Perino also said US President George W. Bush will not "take any option off
the table."
Perino made the remarks after the New Yorker said in an on-line report on
Sunday that the Bush administration is shifting emphasis from the plan of a
broad bombing attack to "surgical" strikes on Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps
facilities in its strategy of possible military confrontation with Iran.
The focus of the original plans had been a broad bombing attack, with targets
including Iran's known and suspected nuclear facilities and other military and
infrastructure sites. Now the emphasis is on "surgical" strikes on Revolutionary
Guard Corps facilities in Teheran and elsewhere, which, the Bush administration
claims, have been the source of attacks on Americans in Iraq, the report said.
The Bush administration has said it focused on diplomacy to try to resolve
Iran's nuclear issue, but has insisted it will take "no option off the table."