Mullen: Iran close to having a nuke

Published: May 24, 2009 at 3:43 PM
Defense Department Oversight Committee Hearing in Washington

WASHINGTON, May 24 (UPI) -- Iran is within three years of having a nuclear weapon, the top U.S. military official said Sunday.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in an appearance on ABC's "This Week" program the United States has little time to pursue diplomatic solutions to persuade Tehran to jettison its nuclear program.

"Most of us believe that it's one to three years, depending on assumptions about where they are right now. But they are moving closer, clearly, and they continue to do that," Mullen said.

As for a military strike against Iran, he said there could be dire consequences to such a move.

"The unintended consequences of a strike against Iran right now would be incredibly serious," he said.

Mullen's comments come after Iran last week successfully test-fired a missile that some experts said could hit Israel and American military bases in the region.

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints



Additional News Stories
Play suspended at LPGA event in Houston (51 min)
COL FB: UNC 31, Boston College 13
Johnson one of many stories at Homestead
COL FB: TCU 45, Wyoming 10
COL FB: Alabama 45, Chattanooga 0
COL FB: Duke 104, Radford 67
COL BKB: Georgetown 63, Savannah St. 44
fark
Progress: Story about cat stuck on top of utility pole has video. Fail: three minutes of cat's owner...
Photoshop this room under construction
Fili-busted
Pittsburgh plans to tax college students, wants them to pay fair share
Genetics anti-bias law takes effect today, forcing insurance companies, employers to use outward...
It's a boy: Zoo tortoise reveals mistaken identity after 50 years, so the zoo renamed the tortoise...