Iran nuclear issue can be solved diplomatically: U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush believes the Iran nuclear issue can be solved diplomatically, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said on Wednesday.

Asked whether Israeli officials were pressuring the administration to take military action against Iran before Bush leaves office, Perino said: "This is a rumor that I hear quite a lot from reporters being brought to us, and what I can tell you is President Bush believes that we can solve this issue diplomatically, and that everyone's preference is to solve it diplomatically, not just here in the United States but with our allies and certainly with Israel."

(Reporting by Tabassum Zakaria; Editing by David Storey)