US President George W. Bush said on Sunday that the United States hoped to solve Iran's nuclear issue diplomatically but he stressed that Iran would not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.  

"My hope is that we can solve this diplomatically," Bush said in an interview with Fox News Channel's "O'Reilly Factor" program.

"Let me try to solve it diplomatically first. All options are on the table, of course, in any situation, but diplomacy is the first option," Bush said.

Bush said the US position was that Iran would not have a nuclear weapon.

"We are working our hearts out so that they do not develop a nuclear weapon, and the best way to do so is to continue to keep international pressure on them," Bush said.

The United States has pressured the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to refer Iran's nuclear issue to the United Nations Security Council and the IAEA has called on Iran to halt its uranium enrichment-related activities.

Iran has insisted that its nuclear program is for civil purposes.

(Xinhua News Agency September 27, 2004)