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War of the Words: Iran engages U.S. in Verbal Battle

On Saturday, August 13, 2005, President Bush said in an interview that a military strike against Iran is a possibility. More specifically, Mr. Bush stated that "all options are on the table," and when asked if one of those options is the use of force, he replied, "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."

Critics found President Bush’s reference to Iraq to be particularly daunting, since it illustrates that Bush is willing to use force once the administration believes that negotiations have reached a standstill.

However, since Saturday, the White House has clarified that there is no plan to use military might against Iran. The administration is working with European leaders and the U.N. to come to an agreement with Iran, and State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says that diplomacy is the only planned course of action.

But Iran did not take the president’s remarks lightly. In response, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi explained, "I think Bush should know that our options are more numerous than the U.S. options," he continued, "If the United States makes such a big mistake, then Iran will definitely have more choices to defend itself."

Although Asefi did not clarify what he meant by "options," the remark demonstrates that Iranian officials have engaged in a rhetorical battle with the White House and are prepared for more actual battles as well.

Why Iran?

The U.S., the U.N., Germany, France, and The International Atomic Energy Agency all believe that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

Iran claims that it is merely trying to develop nuclear power in order to meet its energy needs.

There is some evidence to the contrary -- in February 2004, United Nations inspectors found traces of polonium-210, a radioactive element that can be used to trigger nuclear explosions. European officials say they believe Iran will possess a nuclear weapon in five to six years.

This is particularly disconcerting to Israel, which says that Iran is its biggest threat. Israel is the only country in the Middle East with a nuclear weapons arsenal.

It was during an interview for an Israeli news channel that Bush remarked on the possibility of military action against Iran.

What’s next?

Since Saturday, the White House has reiterated that they plan to continue with diplomacy and that U.N. sanctions, not bombings, are the next step.

Iran responded to the threat of sanctions last November, but now there is a new president-elect, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has declared the nation’s nuclear program to be "the absolute right for Iran and every Iranian."

So far, President Ahmadinejad has been reluctant to negotiate with the West, and on August 15, 2005, he appointed a less-moderate secretary to the Supreme National Security Council, the department that engages in nuclear negotiations with the European Union.

Negotiations and diplomacy may be put to the test, and the Bush administration may be faced with a nuclear Iran.

In 2002, President Bush named Iraq, Iran, and North Korea the "axis of evil;" in what ways are these three different from each other? Would you support a United States military operation to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to countries that do not yet have them?

What do you think?

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Update Posted on: 8/19/2005