SHREVEPORT, Louisiana - President George W. Bush said Friday that Iran must abandon any quest for nuclear weapons "for the sake of peace in the world," as he hailed newly cemented US-European cooperation on the issue.
"I look forward to working with our European friends to make it abundantly clear to the Iranian regime that the free world will not tolerate them having a nuclear weapon," he said on a brief trip here to push his domestic agenda.
"I am pleased that we are speaking with one voice with our European friends," Bush said after Washington formally dropped objections to European economic incentives to Tehran in a bid to defuse the atomic dispute.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that Washington had agreed to drop its objection to Iran's application to join the World Trade Organization, and would consider on a case-by-case basis the licensing of spare parts for Iranian civilian aircraft, in particular from Europe to Iran.
Bush pointed to his fence-mending trip to Europe late last month as the genesis of the transatlantic agreement on how best to proceed in the dispute over Iran's nuclear programs.
The United States and its allies will "make sure that we speak with one voice to the Iranian regime that they should abandon any ambitions for nuclear weapons for the sake of peace in the world," said the US president.
Rice said in a statement that Washington's shift was "to support the EU-3's diplomacy," referring to outreach by Britain, France and Germany to the Islamic republic, which rejects Washington's charges that it seeks nuclear weapons.
"The Europeans have been very clear with the Iranians that there will have to be certain objective guarantees that Iran is not trying to use a civilian nuclear program to provide cover for a weapons program," Rice said.
"We share the desire of European Governments to secure Iran's adherence to its obligations through peaceful and diplomatic means," she added.
"Today's announcement demonstrates that we are prepared to take practical steps to support European efforts to this end. The spotlight must remain on Iran, and on Iran's obligation to live up to its international commitments," Rice said.
Britain, France and Germany hope to convince Iran to halt its work on the nuclear fuel cycle -- including the sensitive process of enriching uranium -- in return for a package of incentives covering trade, security and technology.
The United States had until now advocated a tougher approach against Iran, threatening to refer it to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.
The United States maintains that Iran is trying to covertly develop nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists that its program is purely meant to meet civilian energy needs.
03/11/2005 20:20 GMT