NEW YORK, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, calling Iran "dangerous and unpredictable," said diplomacy is the only realistic option for Washington and Tehran.
In an interview with CBS News, Carter recalled maintaining a corps of about 60 diplomats in Tehran after the shah was deposed in 1979 by the Islamic Revolution and said the current administration's diplomatic chill should end.
"Now, with increasing evidence that Iran is a dangerous and unpredictable country, the best thing to do is to have a maximum diplomatic relationship," Carter told the network.
He said the media play a damaging role by publishing speculation about a military attack.
"They (Iranians) read those articles and they see all the other news, and if they feel that they're going to be attacked, then I think that's one incentive for them to be more militant," he said. "So, I think, to assuage their fears, and to tell them the truth about our intentions, would be more helpful."
Carter said in any event, the United States couldn't field a military for an attack on Iran as "we don't even have enough troops for Iraq."
