The comments came after the Pentagon said a US military buildup in the Gulf represented a message to "potential adversaries" in the region, and Bush himself has vowed to crush any Iranian networks fueling violence that claims the lives of US soldiers in Iraq.

"I guess my reaction to all the noise about, you know, 'he wants to go to war,' is -- first of all I don't understand the tactics, and I guess I would say it's political," Bush told CSPAN television in an interview.

"On the other hand, I hope that the members of Congress, particularly in the opposition party, understand the great danger of Iran having a nuclear weapon," the US president said.

Referring to the nuclear dispute, Bush said he had "a comprehensive policy aimed to solve this peacefully" and vowed to "press hard" for Iran to freeze sensitive nuclear work that could be a key step towards an atomic arsenal.

Tehran has rejected charges of smuggling bombs to insurgents who target US troops as "without foundation," and has repeatedly denied Washington's allegations that its nuclear programme hides a quest for an atomic bomb.