In an interview with the CNN television network, General David H. Petraeus, the general in charge of the Middle East region and Persian Gulf, said that "it would be irresponsible if the Central Command was not thinking about a variety of options and was making plans for a wide range of possible actions."
Petraeus refused to specify which "possible actions", but stressed that alternative plans were being made by Washington in case attempts to curb the Iranian nuclear program through diplomacy or sanctions fail. "Certainly you can bomb Iran's nuclear facilities," he said, "but the level of impact will vary depending on the offensive operation and type of armament used to carried out the attack," he said.