Iran could bomb US by 2015, according to Department of Defense

Washington - A new Department of Defense report submitted to Congress on Monday states Iran may be able to strike the US with an intercontinental ballistic missile as early as 2015.

The unclassified report, titled Ballistic Missile Defense Review Report, dated February 1, 2010, was guided by Presidential directive and mandated by Congress. It starts by stating “The protection of the United States from the threat of ballistic missile attack is a critical national security priority.” “Regional actors such as North Korea and Iran continue to develop long-range missiles that will be threatening to the United States,” the DoD report states. It adds the threats “are clear and present.” While Iran states its pursuit of a nuclear program is non-threatening, the report suggests otherwise. “Iran’s nuclear program and its willingness to keep open the possibility of developing nuclear weapons is a central part of its deterrent strategy,” the report adds. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is on record as stating “all options are on the table” with regards to North Korea and Iran, a suggestion that US execution of a nuclear strike is a possible scenario, according to American Forces Press Service. In a meeting last week with the Senate Armed Services Committee, Michele Flournoy, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, said President Obama views Iran as a top national security matter. “First, we are working to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons,” she told committee members. “Second, we are countering Iran's destabilizing activities and support for terrorism and extremists in the Middle East and around the world.” The Ballistic Missile Defense Review Report was released on the heels of the Nuclear Security Summit, a meeting hosted by the US in which leaders from more than 40 countries attended. The DoD report goes on to state “ballistic missile systems are becoming more flexible, mobile, survivable, reliable, and accurate while also increasing with range.” It also suggests Iran is defying international obligations in regards to its nuclear program, thereby reducing international confidence in its program. Regarding the US position on North Korea and Iran’s ongoing missile tests, the report states the US “will continue to seek to stem these threats, through diplomacy and other means.” Although Russia and China currently have the ability to generate large-scale missile attacks on the US, the report states they are “important partners” in future relationships, adding a prosperous Russia will be able to make contributions to international peace. It adds China’s ongoing military build-up is being closely monitored by the Obama administration, and while the US will ensure its ability to defend regional interests, it does not believe a hostile relationship with China is inevitable. The report continues by suggesting a US defense against North Korean and Iranian ballistic missile capabilities is based on US perceptions.