There is little possibility of the United States taking action against Iran in an Iraq model in the near future, says an article in the Nanfang Daily. An excerpt follows:

US President George W. Bush said recently that the United States would rally allies in pressuring Iran into abandoning its nuclear programme.

US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice also said on a TV talk show that Teheran's ongoing nuclear programme is putting the world in a dangerous position.

This was another case of a high-ranking US official openly airing anti-Iranian sentiment after Bush's statement of last month stating possible connections between Teheran and the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Washington's position towards Iran is a direct response to Teheran's announcement last month that it would resume producing uranium enrichment centrifuges, an important step in the development of nuclear weapons.

In his State of the Union address on January 29, 2002, Bush branded Iran a member of the infamous "axis of evil," together with Iraq and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Since the address the Bush administration has refused direct talks with Teheran.

Notably, both Bush and Rice have never clearly stated what actions the United States would take against Iran although they have said on many occasions that Washington will not tolerate Teheran's nuclear programme.

It is the current US strategy to end Iran's nuclear programme through uniting allies and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, but not through taking radical unilateral measures which could further escalate tensions with the country.

Numerous factors have prevented the Bush administration from setting a deadline, or adopting an Iraq model for Iran.

Since the war in Iraq began in March last year, more than 900 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq, which, together with the country's current chaotic state, have provoked severe criticisms of the Bush administration from home and abroad.

Also, the administration is divided about whether the United States should deal with Iran through regime change or by engaging in diplomacy.

Under these circumstances, any significant steps towards Iran could involve unaffordable risks for Bush in the run-up to the election.