Clue: Read what Joe Biden said just the day before. If Bush attacks Iran then he will be impeached.
Clue: Putin, a supporter of Iran, was just, "re-elected," in Russia.
Problem: If Israel feels threatened by Iranian nuclear weapons development then Israel will attack Iran whether we want them to or not.
Problem: The US is pledged to defend Israel against all aggressors even if Israel starts the conflict.
Problem: Syria, which shares a border with Israel, is an Iranian ally.
Danger: While Israel has not officially announced that it has nuclear weapons, it does.
Problem: Some Iranian nuclear development sites are in very deep bunkers which only precision nuclear weapons in a bunker-buster configuration can penetrate.
A week ago the United States was forced to either commit to an attack on Iran or not as Iran made the announcement that it could now produce fissile material. The answer as to what the United States will do has already been made. Any strike on Iran has either been approved or tabled.
It is likely, given the statement by Bush and the weakness of his administration, that it was genuine and a signal to Iran that the United States will not attack Iran.
In a way, it's of help to the United States that Putin was re-elected. Russia is completely against Iran becoming a nuclear state. They're very happy that Iran is no longer a US ally and while they're even happier that Iran annoys the US no end, they don't want Iran to become dangerous. Russia, for all its problems, is not run by fools and the idea of Ahmadinejad or any mullah -with-a-mission getting their hands on nuclear weapons, is not in Russia's interest. Russia is far too close to the middle east and any of them could turn on Russia in a minute. Russia already has serious Islamic insurgency problems in Ossetia, Ingusetia, and of course, Chechnya, and a growing Islamic population throughout the lower Caucuses.
You do remember Chechnya right? Well Bush and Putin made a deal. If Putin wouldn't comment on the Iraqi invasion beyond a few terse diplomatic statements, then Bush would turn a blind eye to anything Russia did in the Caucuses to contain Islamic militancy (or revolutionary freedom-fighters depending upon whom you listen to). This we have done though there is no guarantee for Putin that the next US president will go along with this policy.
To that end, Putin may offer to police Iran by proxy for the US in exchange for more of the same indifference to Russian actions in the Caucuses. Russia makes sure Iran only makes reactors, the US can rely on Russian competency to see that this done, and in return, Putin can crush resistance in the oil-rich lower Caucuses which is why these provinces are so important that Russia will fight tooth and nail to keep them.