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Posted on 07/03/2008 6:09:56 PM PDT by Coffee200am

WASHINGTON: Opening up a third front would pose a challenge for the U.S. military already deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, says a top U.S. military chief amid concerns Israel may attack Iran. "From the U.S. military perspective, opening up a third front right now would be extremely stressful on us," the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen told a press conference.

"That doesn''t mean we don''t have capacity or reserve. But that would really be very challenging and also the consequences of that sometimes are very difficult to predict." Israel has said it will stop Tehran developing a nuclear bomb at all costs, amid speculation that it is seeking Washington''s tacit approval for a strike against the Islamic Republic''s atomic program. Israel is a key U.S. ally in the volatile Middle East, with the two countries enjoying privileged ties, meaning that any conflict between Iran and the Jewish state would inevitably involve the United States. But the U.S. Army is already stretched with thousands of troops committed to fighting insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Mullen, who has just returned from a visit to Israel, refused to comment on what the U.S. ally might be planning. "But I''m convinced that the solution still lies in using other elements of national power to change Iranian behavior, include diplomatic, financial and international pressure.

"There is a need for better clarity, even dialogue at some level." U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday again said he had not ruled out using force in the nuclear standـoff with Iran, but emphasized that his top choice was for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. "I have always said that all options are on the table but the first option for the United States is to solve this problem diplomatically," Bush told reporters in the White House Rose Garden.

Also on Thursday, the U.S. ambassador to Israel played down speculation that an attack by either country on Iranian nuclear sites was imminent, saying the allies agreed sanctions should run their course. "I don''t think any decisions have been made on any military action by any party, that I''m aware of," Richard Jones told reporters. "I think a lot of people believe that the use of military force would be the last option and there are plenty of other options that need to be exercised beforehand ـ and I think we are in the process of exercising those options," he said. "We are working very closely with Israel on our diplomatic efforts." U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday reiterated his administration''s support for giving diplomatic pressure on Tehran a chance to work, but said "all options are on the table". Speculation about a possible strike on Iran has lifted oil prices, which hit a new record high of above 145 U.S. dollars a barrel on Thursday. Traders said the market now had $150 within reach.

Iran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, has defied U.N. Security Council sanctions designed to curb its access to technologies with bombـmaking potential. A largeـscale Israeli air force drill last month prompted speculation that the Jewish state, which is believed to have the region''s only atomic arsenal, could be preparing to attack the Islamic republic. The Israeli government, while hinting that it considers force a viable last resort against its archـfoe, has endorsed sanctions.

On Wednesday, Iran said that it was ready to consider a U.S. diplomatic presence in Tehran, and called for direct flights between the two countries, nearly three decades after Washington severed ties with Iran. Speaking to reporters during a visit to the United Nations, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki also accused Washington of putting unfair restrictions on Iranian media representatives who want to work in the United States.

"Last year the Islamic Republic of Iran proposed direct flights between Iran and the United States," Mottaki said. "This year the Americans have brought up the idea of setting up an interests section in Iran similar to what we have in Washington D.C. ... It seems to me that both proposals can be examined by the two countries." There have been unconfirmed media reports that the U.S. State Department is considering opening a soـcalled interests section, usually a handful of diplomats operating under another country''s flag, in Tehran. U.S. officials, however, said that there were no concrete plans for either direct flights or opening an interests office in Tehran similar to the one it has in Havana, Cuba. The Havana interests section is formally part of the Swiss Embassy, but it is fully independent in actual practice. Switzerland also represents U.S. interests in Iran though there are no U.S. diplomats based there. The United States cut off diplomatic ties with Tehran during the 1979ـ1981 hostage crisis, in which a group of militant Iranian students held 52 American diplomats hostage at the U.S. Embassy for 444 days. Iran maintains an interests section at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington. Mottaki said that it serves the large Iranian community in the United States. Mottaki''s comments come after recent leaks of reports about the possibility that Israel might use military force to attack Iran''s nuclear program, which Tehran says is purely peaceful but the West fears is aimed at building atomic weapons. He also told reporters of a "new atmosphere" in relations with the United States and five other world powers that have offered Iran negotiations on a package of incentives aimed at resolving its longـrunning nuclear standoff with the West. The United States has been willing to talk with Iran about Iraq and a few other issues but has made it clear that this does not mean a renewal of official ties.

Tehran''s foreign minister also complained about what he described as unfair treatment of Iranian media representatives in the United States. "American media representatives were issued about120 visas last year to visit Iran," Mottaki said. "But unfortunately this was not reciprocated and our press members were not able to travel to the United States in equal numbers." Mottaki added that some Iranian reporters "face serious restrictions in terms of their ability to work" in the United States. He expressed hope that this would soon be resolved in favor of the Iranian journalists. ـAgencies

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