Regarding George Bush’s trip to the Middle East region, The Washington Post wrote: President Bush intends to use his first extended tour of the Middle East to rally support for international pressure against Iran, even as a recent U.S. intelligence report playing down Tehran’s nuclear ambitions has left Israeli and Arab leaders rethinking their own approach toward Iran and questioning Washington’s resolve, according to senior U.S. officials, diplomats and regional experts.

One senior administration official said many Middle Eastern governments were “confused” by the NIE. “No Arab regime understands why the United States would publish an intelligence estimate.” The official said Iran will be an important focus of Bush’s conversations with regional leaders, with the president seeking to reassure them of U.S. staying power in the Middle East

Administration officials insist that the estimate showed Iran remains capable of, and interested in, developing a nuclear weapon.