U.S. vows commitment to Israel in face of Iran nukes

Visiting U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen declared Sunday that Washington was committed to Israel's security, voicing concern over the "unintended consequences" a war in the Middle East over Iran's contentious nuclear program would bring. "I worry a great deal about the unintended consequences of a strike," he told reporters during a visit to Tel Aviv, referring to Iran's threats to retaliate against Israel and U.S. sites in the Gulf. "I think the Iranians are very difficult to predict." Mullen arrived in Israel on Sunday for talks on Iran's nuclear program, as the United States and Israel were pushing world powers to support harsher sanctions against the Islamic republic. He said during his visit that it was important to give diplomacy and international pressure a chance before looking into military options, adding: "While every situation has limits, we're not there yet." U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Iran on Sunday to reconsider its "dangerous" nuclear policy, saying Tehran's stance leaves the world community little choice but to impose "greater costs". Hours earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored Israel's support of Clinton's declaration that "crippling" sanctions were needed to rid Iran of its contentious nuclear ambitions. In her latest comments on the matter, delivered at a U.S.-Islamic World Forum in Doha on Sunday evening, Clinton said: "Iran leaves the international community little choice but to impose greater costs for its provocative steps. Together, we are encouraging Iran to reconsider its dangerous policy decisions. "We are now working actively with our regional and international partners, in the context of our dual track approach, to prepare and implement new measures to convince Iran to change its course," she added, speaking at a U.S.-Islamic World Forum in Doha. Clinton added that evidence "evidence is accumulating" that Iran was trying to develop a nuclear bomb. The U.S. is in a favor of a peaceful solution, she said, but did not want to engage Iran "while they are building their bomb." U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on Sunday that the United States expects to gain China's support for imposing sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. "We have the support of everyone from Russia to Europe. And I believe we'll get the support of China to continue to impose sanctions on Iran to isolate them," Biden said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program. Beijing so far has been cool to the Obama administration's push for additional international sanctions on Iran. (22,37)