U.S. reiterates diplomacy on Iran’s nuclear issue

    WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The United States reiterated Monday 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 U.S. 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."