Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned Wednesday that an Israeli airstrike on Iran could destabilize the region and lead to political and economic chaos.
He made the remarks during a press conference at the Pentagon.
While U.S. President George W. Bush repeated earlier in the day that a military strike against Iran remains an option, Mullen's words of caution underscored the Pentagon's belief that a move against Iran -- by the United States or its allies -- would have a grim effect on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Opening up a third front right now would be extremely stressful on us," he said.
"This is a very unstable part of the world, and I don't need itto be more unstable," Mullen added.
His comments come in the wake of the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan in the seven-year-old war, with 27 American soldiers killed in June.
About 32,000 U.S. troops are serving in Afghanistan, and 144,000 in Iraq.
Israel, the United States' closest ally in the Middle East, refuses to rule out a strike against Iranian nuclear sites.
Iran derided the airstrike talks as "psychological warfare" and threatens dire retaliation if any assault materialized.
Source:Xinhua
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