[AFP] The U.S. will stick to diplomatic and economic pressure to force Iran to halt its nuclear drive, but "all options are on the table," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday. "I will tell you that I think the administration believes at this point that continuing to try and deal with the Iranian threat...through diplomatic and economic means is by far the preferable approach," he said. The U.S. has never ruled out taking military action against Iran but on Friday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei brushed off the notion that it could now threaten the Islamic republic.
2007-09-17 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive