An Israeli military strike can at the most delay Iranian nuclear programme by a couple of years, a top Pentagon official has said, noting that such a move would not be ‘prudent’.
"I think that Israel has the capability to strike Iran and to delay the production or the capability of Iran to achieve a nuclear weapons status, probably for a couple of years," US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey told CNN.
"But some of the targets are probably beyond their reach and, of course, that's what concerns them. That's this notion of a zone of immunity that they discuss," he said in response to a question on the Iran's progress in nuclear programme.
The Obama Administration and Israel has said that they would not let Iran acquire nuclear weapons.
"We think that it's not prudent at this point to decide to attack Iran. I mean, that's been our counsel to our allies, the Israelis, well-known, well-documented," Dempsey said.
He said the US has counseled Israel against striking Iran as this would be destabilizing at this point of time. "I'm confident that they (Israel) 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. Of course, they consider Iran to be an existential threat in a way that we have not concluded that Iran is an existential threat," Dempsey said.
The General, said he is not sure, if Israel is convinced by the American argument against striking Iran.
"I wouldn't suggest, sitting here today, that we've persuaded them that our view is the correct view and that they are acting in an ill-advised fashion, but we've had a very candid, collaborative conversation. We've shared intelligence," he said.
Dempsey was in Israel about three weeks ago and spent two days there with the senior leaders. The US is continuing with its dialogue with Israel.
"We also know - or believe we know - that the Iranian regime has not decided that they will embark on the effort to weaponize their nuclear capability," he noted, adding that it is still unclear on Iran's nuclear weaponization.
"I believe it is unclear, and on that basis I think it would be premature to exclusively decide that the time for a military option was upon us. I mean, I think that the economic sanctions and the international cooperation that we've been able to gather around sanctions is beginning to have an effect. I think our diplomacy is having an effect, and our preparedness," he said.
"I mean, fundamentally we have to be prepared, and that includes, for the most part at this point, being prepared defensively," Dempsey said.