AS UNITED STATES President George Bush comes to the end of his presidency, he is likely to claim some foreign policy success in neutralising at least two of the "axis of evil" countries – North Korea and Iraq. But Iran continues to be a thorn in his side.

Although North Korea has not complied with all conditions, it said it would not reveal details on three critical points: the nuclear bombs it has already produced; its attempts to produce nuclear arms by secretly enriching uranium, which triggered the ongoing crisis in 2002; and accusations that the North helped Syria build a nuclear plant.

Nevertheless, persuading North Korea to cooperate with the international community ending its dangerous isolation is a welcome development. It again demonstrates that in international relations, quiet sustained diplomacy is more likely to succeed than bellicose threats.

This also demonstrates that diplomacy and dialogue, rather than the threat of the use of military force, are more useful in resolving such tricky issues. More to the point, being peaceful in nature, they should be the first option of the world community, especially a superpower.

This is why this newspaper has always advocated dialogue and diplomacy in dealing with Iran. Now that the United States and some allies have successfully managed to negotiate with the North Korean regime, The White House should try the same approach in dealing with Iran as well.

As is widely known, Iran is part of Bush's so-called axis of evil. If dialogue is possible between the United States and North Korea with known nuclear weapons, why can't Teheran and Washington resolve their difficulties at the negotiating table?

If a story by award-winning American journalist Seymour Hersh, published on Sunday in The New Yorker, is to be believed, the war plan against Iran by the United States is already well under way.

According to him, Congress recently approved a dramatic increase in funding for covert operations aimed at destabilising the Iranian regime. The report suggests that the Bush administration is still wedded to a deeply flawed logic of using military might as a tool for transforming global politics.

Coming as it does amid the growing talk of imminent Israel-United States attack on Iran, it should be real cause of concern for the countries and people in that region and the wider world with the oil situation as it is now.

Even as the region battles the never-ending civil war in Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, most media and analysts are saying this reckless enterprise of imposing yet another war on the Middle East is most disconcerting.

The United States administration has obviously drawn no lessons from the blunders in Iraq. Iran, burning with nationalistic fervour and religious zeal, is unlikely to take it lying down. So any talk of more war is a silly idea, even from this distance.