Speaking Tuesday, the head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, expressed doubt at Israel's ability to bring an end to Iran's nuclear program. Dempsey said in an interview Monday that while he did not know Israel's plans, the best Israel could do would be to delay Iran's development of nuclear weapns; it would be unable to end it.
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that the U.S. did not believe that Israel had yet made a decision to strike Iran. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Panetta said that he believed there was still a chance that sanctions could work to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.