Speaking at a news conference in Germany Wednesday after a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bush said that in order to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons diplomacy was his "first choice" but that "all options are on the table."
The Iranian statement quoted ministry spokesman Ali Hosseini as saying: "Bush's unilateral and arrogant attitude to the lawful rights of the great Iranian nation will not change the realities surrounding Iran's peaceful nuclear activities."
In the few months Bush has left as president, "he will not be able to correct his past mistakes with groundless statements," the spokesman said.
Iran is currently under three sets of relatively mild UN Security Council sanctions for defying demands to halt uranium enrichment, which it says it needs purely for electricity generation despite Western accusations that the program is geared toward weapon production.
Earlier on Thursday Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said during a speech in the city of Shahr-e-Kor that Iran would continue with its nuclear program despite regular threats from the U.S.
"If the enemy thinks they can break the Iranian nation with pressure, they are wrong," he said.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana is set to arrive in Tehran on Saturday on a two-day visit, aimed at convincing Iran to suspend uranium enrichment in exchange for a new package of incentives.
