U.S. military chief says clock ticking on Iran nuke

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U.S. military chief says clock ticking on Iran nuke

Tue Jul 7, 2009 3:59pm EDT

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. military officer warned on Tuesday that time

is running out for dialogue with Tehran to avoid either a nuclear-armed Iran or

a possible military strike against the Islamic Republic.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it is

critical for diplomatic efforts to reach a solution before Iran develops a

nuclear weapon or faces an Israeli or U.S. strike to turn back its nuclear

program.

" That window is a very narrow window, " Mullen told an audience at the Center for

Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

" There's a great deal that certainly depends on the dialogue and the

engagement, " he said. " I'm hopeful that that dialogue is productive. I worry

about it a great deal if it's not. "

Mullen noted that some forecasters believe Iran could be as little as a year

away from developing a nuclear bomb, adding: " The clock has continued to tick. "

The Obama administration hopes to coax Tehran into negotiating over its nuclear

program. Washington and its allies say the program is aimed at producing nuclear

weapons, but Iran insists it is a civilian electricity program.

Israel has said a nuclear-armed Iran would be a threat to its existence and

points to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's calls for Israel to be wiped

off the map.

That has raised concerns that Israel could ultimately carry out a military

strike against Iranian nuclear sites.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on Sunday Israel has a sovereign right to

decide what is in its best interests in dealing with Iran's nuclear ambitions,

whether the United States agrees or not.

Mullen told his audience that Washington must keep all options on the table as

it pursues dialogue with Iran, " including certainly military options. "

But he said a military strike -- like the development of an Iranian nuclear bomb

itself -- would be " very destabilizing " for the Middle East and pose

unpredictable consequences for U.S. allies and interests.

" It (a military strike) is a really important place to not go, if we can not go

there in any way, shape or form, " the admiral said.

(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

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