Bush says no plans to attack Iran: interview

US President George W. Bush said Friday he has no intention of attacking Iran, in an interview in which he also gave some advice to his successor on how to deal with the Islamic Republic.

Questioned during an interview with ABC television whether his intention was to not attack Iran, Bush replied: "Exactly" -- although he refused to rule out the use of force altogether.

"I have always said all options need to be on the table, but my first effort is to solve this issue diplomatically," he said from his Texas ranch.

Bush said he was not planning an attack, adding: "I'm chuckling, because, you know, from my perch, my perspective, these rumors happen all the time ... I wouldn't say they're amusing. It's part of the job, I guess."

The president accuses Iran of seeking nuclear weapons and arming and funding groups fighting US forces in Iraq.

And he made clear in the interview that he would act to protect Americans or Iraqis from Iranian actions in neighboring Iraq. AFP

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There has been no confrontation between Iran and United States in the Persian Gulf, official news agency IRNA reported Friday.

An unnamed source told IRNA that the media reports about a confrontation between three Iranian speedboats and the USS Typhoon in the Persian Gulf on Thursday were baseless. Report: Iran says Gulf encounter with US not confrontational