Bush and Sarkozy seek united front against Iran

By Matt Spetalnick and Jeremy Pelofsky

PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned on Saturday that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a threat to peace, as they sought to end tension over Iraq and forge a common front against Iran.

As part of Bush's farewell tour of Europe, the leaders sat down to coordinate strategy for increasing international pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme and for shoring up assistance for war-battered Afghanistan.

Iran ruled out any suspension of uranium enrichment on Saturday after the European Union's top diplomat, Javier Solana, delivered a package of economic incentives from world powers to persuade it to stop such work.

"I am disappointed that the Iranian leaders rejected this generous offer out of hand," Bush told a joint news conference with Sarkozy. He said European leaders understood that a nuclear-armed Iran would be a "major blow to world peace."

Sarkozy agreed, saying: "Iran obtaining the atom bomb is unacceptable." He called for a "flawless sanctions procedure" if Tehran remains defiant.

Bush and allies he has met during his trip have warned Tehran of further sanctions if it continues to develop nuclear know-how that could be used in bomb-building. Iran insists its programme is strictly for electricity generation.

Bush's warm personal bond with Sarkozy stands in marked contrast to the chilly relationship the U.S. leader had with his predecessor, Jacques Chirac, a staunch critic of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

But Bush remains deeply unpopular in France, with many people indifferent to his visit and looking to his successor who will be elected in November.