by Yu Zhixiao

    BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Dialog and negotiation are better means to settle the Iranian nuclear issue, analysts say, as both chief of UN nuclear watchdog and the U.S. president are visiting the Middle East.

    Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei arrived in Tehran on Friday for discussion on Iran's nuclear programs.

    This is his first visit to Iran in over one and a half years, which coincides with U.S. President George W. Bush's nine-day eye-catching visit to the volatile Mideast region.

    Earlier this week, IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said ElBaradei hoped his visit would help to find measures to improve and accelerate the IAEA's supervision and inspection on the programs.

    She also said cooperation between the IAEA and Iran would help solve the Iranian nuclear issue.

    Analysts say it is wise for the IAEA to stick to dialog policy, and negotiation instead of conflict is the right way to solve the nuclear issue.

    "The IAEA insists it is too rash to conclude Iran has a plan or ability to develop nuclear weapons, so it is irrational to impose further sanctions against Iran at this stage," Yu Wanli, an associate professor from School of International Studies of China's prestigious Peking University told Xinhua.

    Conflict and war are not a good way to solve the Iranian nuclear issue both for Iran and the United States, Yu said. It is almost impossible for the Bush administration, which has bogged down in Iraq, to launch a war against Iran as it does not have enough political assets to do so, he added.

    However, U.S. President Bush apparently has a different view on how to deal with the Iranian nuclear issue. Before kicking off his Mideast visit, Bush said one reason for the trip is to warn countries in the region that nuclear armed Iran will be a danger to the Mideast region.

    During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Wednesday, Bush said Iran still poses a threat to world peace despite his country's National Intelligence Estimate report released in December saying Iran halted its nuclear weapon program in 2003.

    "Iran is a threat and Iran will be a threat if the international community doesn't come together to prevent it from getting a nuclear weapon," Bush said.

    The United States has accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, which Iran has denied. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purpose only.

    Iran has shown a backlash toward U.S. hardline policies on the issue, which, observers say, proves conflict and sanctions cannot find a way out.

    Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said on Sunday that Iran considers Bush's Mideast trip as interference in relations between the countries in the region. He said the trip would not succeed in isolating Iran, adding regional countries were strengthening their relations with Iran.

    "Due to continuation of hostile U.S. policies against Iran, Tehran has no program for normalizing ties with Washington and that is not in our agenda," Hosseini said.

    A Chinese scholar named Yang Hongxi said the United States, by calling for tougher sanctions against Iran, is attempting to force Iran to concede through a psychological war instead of a military war.

    "The standoff between Iran and the United States on the nuclear issue may continue, but conflict or war is unlikely to break out in the near future," Yang, a researcher with the China Center for Contemporary World Studies, said in his blog.

    He said it is not absolutely impossible for both sides to reach some kind of agreement on the nuclear issue if they make some real concessions.

    Many countries in the world, as well as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, insist dialog is the best way to solve the Iranian nuclear standoff.

    Russia has all along called for negotiation instead of conflict to settle the standoff, saying Iran has the right to develop civilian nuclear projects as many other countries do.

    Russia sent two shipments of nuclear fuel to Iran's ongoing Bushehr power plant at the end of 2007, and promised the fuel would be under control and guarantee of the IAEA to ensure its civilian purpose.

    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Thursday that "China considers dialog and consultation are best ways to solve the Iranian nuclear issue."

    Jiang called for stronger diplomatic efforts from the international community to resume talks at an earlier date in seeking a long-term, comprehensive and appropriate solution to the issue.