The U.S. ambassador to Israel says military plans for a possible attack on Iran are “fully available.”
A military assault is still on the table for consideration as an option to disable Iran's growing nuclear capabilities, since all diplomatic and economic strategies have thus far failed.
Iran has continued to build its program to enrich uranium in amounts high enough for an atomic weapon, despite United Nations sanctions designed to persuade the Islamic Republic to change its course.
Iran, for its part, insists its nuclear program is designed for peaceful domestic purposes only.
Ambassador Dan Shapiro said in remarks immediately reported throughout the Arab world, that military action was still considered a last resort.
IDF Army Radio broadcast the remarks on Thursday morning, saying he had spoken on the issue on Tuesday.
"It would be preferable to resolve this diplomatically and through the use of pressure than to use military force,” Shapiro said in remarks broadcast on IDF Army Radio. “But that doesn't mean that option is not fully available – not just available, but it's ready. The necessary planning has been done to ensure that it's ready,” he said.
Talks with Iran about its nuclear development program opened in Istanbul last month, and are set to resume May 23 in Baghdad.