Iran dismisses talk of U.S. attack

The prospect of the United States using force to halt Iran's nuclear program is empty talk, Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said on Thursday. President Bush says he is using diplomacy to curb Iran's atomic ambitions, but has not ruled out military options, even including a nuclear strike, to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons. "The United States has been threatening Iran for 27 years and this is not new for us. Therefore we are never afraid of U.S. threats," Najjar told reporters during a visit to neighboring Azerbaijan. "If you take into account the fact that they are not doing anything, this shows it is just talk," he said. "We are ready to resolve all issues through negotiations (but) if we are confronted with something, we are ready to deal with it," the minister added.