US President George W. Bush said he would use force if necessary to defend Israel from Iran. "I made it clear, and I'll make it clear again, that we will use military might to protect our ally Israel," said Bush, who was referring to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's call for the destruction of Israel.
Bush, in a speech in Cleveland, Ohio, cited recent comments by the Iranian leader. Iran's "stated objective" to destroy Israel is a "serious threat," Bush said.
On the atomic dispute with Iran, Bush said he hoped "to solve this issue diplomatically" with a "united message" to Tehran from Washington, London, Paris, Berlin as well as Russia "hopefully" and China.
