The United States has not ruled out a possible military strike on Iran, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said in an interview with NBC television on Monday.
"I think the military actions [against Iran] have been on the table and remain on the table, and certainly in that regard it is one of the options that the president has," Mullen said, adding that he hoped a strike would not be necessary.
Earlier U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the United States had the capability to conduct a military strike against Iran.
The U.S. nuclear doctrine, unveiled in April, also envisages the possibility of a military attack on the Islamic Republic.
Mullen said it was hard to make any predictions on the Iranian issue since Iran is the "incredibly unstable part of the world that I worry about the most".
He said there should be a balance between the diplomacy, sanctions and international pressure on Iran.
Western powers suspect Iran of attempting to build nuclear weapons under the guise of civilian nuclear power generation.
On June 9, the UN Security Council approved a fourth round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, including tougher financial controls and an expanded arms embargo, as well as an asset ban on three dozen companies and a travel freeze on individuals.
Later, the United States and the EU imposed extra unilateral sanctions against Iran, including tougher restrictions on the energy sector and a tougher trade embargo.
At the beginning of May, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said ties with Washington could not be improved if a new package of sanctions was placed on Iran. He also said there were "radicals" in the U.S. administration who were encouraging the deterioration of Iranian-U.S. ties.
WASHINGTON, August 2 (RIA Novosti)
