THE US military is operating on the assumption that Tehran is five to eight years away from being able to build a nuclear bomb, The Washington Times reported today.The five-year window provides the Bush administration time to decide whether to launch air strikes to cripple Tehran's atomic program, the newspaper said, citing defence sources familiar with discussions inside the Pentagon. But the sources said they suspected the projected time-frame underestimated Iran's determination to build a bomb as quickly as possible, the newspaper reported.
Asked about the report, a Pentagon spokesman said the US military never commented on contingency planning. "The United States government has been very clear about its approach to dealing with Iran. The president and the State Department are working diligently with the international community to include organisations like the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and the United Nations to address diplomatically the troublesome activities of the Iranian government," air force Major Patrick Ryder, said in an email response to Reuters.