Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, said in comments released on Friday that
the U.S. military has been thinking about military options
on Iran "for a significant period of time" but
added that diplomacy remained the focus of U.S. efforts.
"I
still think it's important we focus on the dialogue, we
focus on the engagement, but also do it in a realistic
way that looks at whether Iran is actually going to tell
the truth, actually engage and actually do anything,"
Mullen said in an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria
GPS due to air on Sunday.
Iran
has agreed to meet with a representative of the six big
powers over its uranium enrichment drive, but diplomats
and analysts see little chance of a breakthrough in the
long-running dispute.
Still,
U.S. officials, including Mullen, have warned that a military
strike will only delay, not halt, Iran's nuclear program
and say convincing Tehran to abandon its nuclear program
is the only viable long-term solution.
Defense
Secretary Robert Gates went further last week, warning
a strike would also unite the divided country and saying
sanctions were biting harder than expected.
