Iran's defense minister has denounced remarks by the top U.S. military commander, who said Washington has not ruled out the use of force against Iran to prevent it from making nuclear weapons.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen said Sunday that the U.S. has a plan to strike Iran. But Admiral Mullen said he hopes the military option is not needed.
Iran's defense minister, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, said Tuesday that U.S. threats to attack his country violate the United Nations charter. He warned that Tehran has drawn up defensive plans that would make its enemies regret any attack.
The United States and other Western countries accuse Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian energy program - a charge Iran denies. Admiral Mullen said he hopes the combination of sanctions and diplomatic efforts will resolve the dispute.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.