Voice of America is not in the business of persuading Iranians to overthrow their government, declares David Jackson, director of the US-government funded radio-television station, but he notes he does receive an amazing number of e-mails from Iranians saying: "Please invade Iran!"

His comments, made at a Washington conference, were surely not intended to signal the Pentagon's military plans, but they reflect what officials describe as a push by the Bush administration to demonise the Iranian regime but laud the Iranian people. The administration's increasingly tough rhetoric is sending a clear rebuttal to European allies who are urging Washington to engage Iran in direct negotiations instead of pursuing diplomacy by proxy.