▁H ers h ▁also ▁revealed ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁Congress ▁also ▁agreed ▁to ▁a ▁$ 4 0 0 - mill ion ▁fund ing ▁request ▁for ▁a ▁major ▁es cal ation ▁in ▁cover t ▁operations ▁inside ▁Iran . ▁▁ ▁The ▁Bush ▁Administration ▁repeatedly ▁refused ▁to ▁rule ▁out ▁use ▁of ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁against ▁Iran . ▁The ▁U . S . ▁N uc lear ▁Post ure ▁Review ▁made ▁public ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁specifically ▁en vision ed ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁on ▁a ▁first ▁strike ▁basis , ▁even ▁against ▁non - n uc lear ▁armed ▁states . ▁Investig ative ▁rep orter ▁Se ym our ▁H ers h ▁reported ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁that ▁the ▁Bush ▁administration ▁had ▁been ▁planning ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁against ▁Iran . ▁When ▁specifically ▁question ed ▁about ▁the ▁potential ▁use ▁of ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁against ▁Iran , ▁President ▁Bush ▁claimed ▁that ▁" All ▁options ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁table ." ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Bul letin ▁of ▁the ▁At omic ▁Scient ists , ▁" the ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁directly ▁threatened ▁Iran ▁with ▁a ▁pre empt ive ▁nuclear ▁strike . ▁It ▁is ▁hard ▁to ▁read ▁his ▁reply ▁in ▁any ▁other ▁way ." ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁Cond ole ez za ▁R ice , ▁U . S . ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State , ▁ca ution ed ▁the ▁I AE A ▁not ▁to ▁inter f ere ▁with ▁international ▁diplom acy ▁over ▁Iran ' s ▁alleg ed ▁weapons ▁program . ▁She ▁said ▁the ▁I