Responding during a Thursday news conference to a question about the French foreign minister's remark that the international community should prepare for war in the event that Iran acquires nuclear weaponry, Bush said the focus should be on diplomatic solutions.

"I have consistently stated I am hopeful we can convince the Iranian regime into giving up" developing a weapons program by countries exerting diplomatic pressure and through peaceful means, Bush said. He said the United States and its friends and allies have tried to press the consistent message to Iran that "there is a better way forward than isolation ... and that the free world is not going to tolerate" provocative actions and talk.

Bush said he also understood why New York police denied permission for Ahmadinejad -- "running a country that's a state sponsor for terror" -- to place a wreath at Ground Zero while in New York next week.