WASHINGTON (AFP) – U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday dismissed talk of a likely U.S. attack on Iran as "noise" from his critics.

The comments came after the Pentagon said a U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf represented a message to "potential adversaries" in the region.

"I guess my reaction to all the noise about, you know, 'he wants to go to war,' is -- first of all I don't understand the tactics, and I guess I would say it's political," Bush told CSPAN television in an interview.

"On the other hand, I hope that the members of Congress, particularly in the opposition party, understand the great danger of Iran having a nuclear weapon," the U.S. president said.

Referring to the nuclear dispute, Bush said he had "a comprehensive policy aimed to solve this peacefully" and vowed to "press hard" for Iran to freeze sensitive nuclear work.