New York Times urges Bush administration to drop Iran war talk and pursue joint sanctions

The New York Times editorial board on 27 January 2005 urged the Bush administration to rule out military action against Iran, arguing such a course would cause more harm than it prevented.

The editorial, titled "Military Rumblings on Iran," pointed to recent statements by senior officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, who had placed Iran at the top of Washington's concern list. The board said the tone carried uncomfortable echoes of the rhetoric that preceded the invasion of Iraq.

The Times observed that no significant US ally, Britain included, favors military intervention, and noted that Iran's population is nearly three times that of Iraq. A military campaign, it argued, would unite Iranians behind a government most of them already resent.

The board called instead for coordinated international economic sanctions, urging the United States and Europe to present Tehran with a joint ultimatum: halt uranium enrichment or face serious economic penalties.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in January 2005, in its own words.