In his new National Security Strategy, President Bush goes to some lengths to cast harsh light on Iran, one of the original “Axis of Evil” states. “We may face no greater challenge from a single country than from Iran,” Bush wrote. “For almost 20 years, the Iranian regime hid many of its key nuclear efforts from the international community.” Noting that the US has joined European nations to try to pressure Iran to give up its program, Bush concluded on an ominous note: “This diplomatic effort must succeed if confrontation is to be avoided.”
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.