US President George W. Bush will make clear in his annual State of the Union address that he wants a peaceful solution to the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, a senior aide said on Tuesday. The official, speaking at a briefing organised by the White House on condition that he not be named, scoffed at concerns that Washington might use force against Iran after invading Iraq 22 months ago.

"I've noticed that many people don't pay attention to the words the president has used, in which he has demonstrated time, after time, after time that he believes that diplomacy, working with our European allies, is the most effective way," to defuse the situation, the aide said.

Bush, who delivers the annual address late Wednesday, "will continue to make that clear, not only in the State of the Union," but in future remarks, said the official.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005