The Christian Science Monitor gave its own analysis Friday on why the Bush administration sticks to a hard line on Iran as the United States, more than other nations, perceives Iran to be so dangerous that it is keeping the military option on the table.

"One reason is that Iran and American have been avowed enemies since the 1979 hostage crisis, with Iran's clerics calling for the annihilation of the U.S.," the Monitor said on Friday in a by- lined story.

Referring to U.S. President George W. Bush's speech on March 9 that "another lesson of September the 11th is that we must deal with threats before they come to hurt us," the article said a nuclear-armed Iran could bring troubles to the Middle East strategy of the United States.

"Even if it were never used, an Iranian nuclear weapons could have a transformative effect. For one, Iran could become bolder in its terrorist activities, knowing that nations would be less likely to retaliate."

"Moreover, a nuclear Iran would recalibrate the balance of power in the region, perhaps pressing Saudi Arabia or Turkey toward the development of its own nuclear weapons," the article said.

An nuclear-armed Iran will impose great threat on Israel, the article said, adding "that, too, creates unique pressures for an ( American) administration that has firmly backed Israel."

"For now, the U.S. is out of range of Iranian missile. But that might not always be true, and Israel is well within range now," the article quoted unidentified analysts as saying.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said Israel should be "wiped off the map" and that "we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism" - tightening the already strong bond between the United States and Israel, the article said.

Source: Xinhua