Tuesday 29 June 2010

Mullen: War on Iran Will Destabilize Middle East

29/06/2010 Chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said he believed Iran will continue to pursue nuclear weapons, even if sanctions against the country were increased.

Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum on Monday night, Mullen added that there was “no reason to trust” Tehran's assurances that it is only pursuing peaceful nuclear program, but warned that an Israeli military strike will be 'incredibly destabilizing' to the Middle East.

He explained that the hardest part about trying to decide what to do about Iran is how much the US does not know about the country's nuclear progress.

The admiral was responding to questions about whether he shared the assessment of CIA Director Leon Panetta, who said on Sunday that Iran likely has enough nuclear material to make two weapons, but is at least a year away from being able to carry that out.

Mullen has just returned from a multination tour that included a stop in Tel Aviv, where he met with his Israeli military counterpart to discuss Iran.

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