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US Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff: Military attack against Iran is â€œprematureâ€

20 February 2012 10:36 (UTC +04:00)

In an interview aired Sunday on CNN’s "Fareed Zakaria GPS," Gen. Martin Dempsey said U.S. officials aren’t convinced Iran has decided to pursue nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, economic and diplomatic sanctions are taking a toll on the Islamic republic, he said.

Dempsey said American officials believe an Israeli strike would delay Iran’s nuclear development "probably for a couple of years, but some of the targets are probably beyond their reach." He said he and others have had "a very candid, collaborative conversation" with the Israelis about the issue.
"I’m confident that they understand our concerns, that a strike at this time would be destabilizing and wouldn’t achieve their long-term objectives," he said. "But, I mean, I also understand that Israel has national interests that are unique to them. And, of course, they consider Iran to be an existential threat in a way that we have not concluded that Iran is an existential threat."

Asked if Iranian leader were acting rationally, Dempsey said: "We are of the opinion that the Iranian regime is a rational actor. And it’s for that reason, I think, that we think the current path we’re on is the most prudent path at this point."