Blair Says `Nobody' Talking About Military Action Against Iran

Reed V. Landberg, Bloomberg:

U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair ruled out military action against Iran, saying ``nobody'' is talking about it as an option to defuse a dispute over the nation's nuclear program. ``I do not talk explicitly or implicitly about a military threat to Iran,'' Blair said in response to questions today at Parliament in London. ``Nobody is talking about military threats or invasion.''

Instead, he said, Iran ``has to realize that the international community cannot tolerate conduct that is supporting terrorism'' or suspected of acquiring an atomic bomb. Blair said he will consult with other nations about a diplomatic way to bring about change in Iran. READ MORE

Last week, European Union leaders condemned Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for saying Israel ``must be wiped off the map.'' Britain, France and Germany are leading an EU delegation in offering to increase trade and boost diplomatic links with Iran if it abandons its nuclear ambitions.

In August, Iran resumed work enriching uranium, a step the U.S. has said may help it build atomic weapons. Ahmadinejad in September offered to share nuclear technology with Arab nations and last week suggested violence against Israel was justified.

Ahmadinejad on Oct. 26 told an audience in Tehran there was ``no doubt the new wave in Palestine will soon wipe off this disgraceful blot from the face of the Islamic world.'' He also said, ``Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury.''

The International Atomic Energy Agency, a United Nations watchdog, will meet on Nov. 24 to decide whether to haul Iran before the UN Security Council. Iran, holder of the world's second- largest oil and gas reserves, said its facilities are aimed at generating electricity, not weapons.