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Washington (AFP): The head of the US military declared “categorically” Tuesday that the United States is not planning air strikes against Iran. “It is not true,” said General Peter Pace, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, when asked during an appearance in Congress about suggestions that the US military was preparing to launch air strikes on Iran. Asked by Senator Robert Byrd if he was categorically denying the reports, Pace replied: “Categorically sir”.
US Vice President Dick Cheney fueled concerns about possible US military strikes against Iran over the weekend by saying that “all options are still on the table” to deal with Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program.
There have also been reports in the US media that the Pentagon has been doing contingency planning for military action, possibly including air strikes on nuclear sites around Iran.
But senior officials have stressed publicly that Washington remains committed to using diplomacy to convince Iran to comply with a UN resolution calling on it to suspend uranium enrichment activities some believe are a precursor to producing atomic weapons.
