Looks like the likelihood of the USA attacking Iran is dwindling somewhat--at least according to an article in today's BBC news.  Now if we can just keep the Israeli hotheads contained.

Not only would an attack on Iran endanger world peace and perhaps even our survival as a species--were we to survive nuclear war, gas prices would be so expensive that no one literally could afford gasoline.  The first thing that Iran would do is to close the Straits of Hormuz, through which oil is transported from the Gulf.  Look at a map and see the implications.

SOURCE FOR WHAT FOLLOWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7486971.stm

Administration at odds

Adm Mullen's opinion echoes what the then head of Central Command, Adm William Fallon, said last November, that an attack on Iran was not "in the offing".

Iran is not making highly enriched uranium suitable for a weapon, only low-enriched uranium useable as nuclear power fuel
Adm Fallon resigned in March amid reports that he was at odds with the administration over Iran.

Increasingly, the military option seems to be narrowing to an Israeli option.

While Adm Mullen did not diverge from the Bush administration's line that the military option remains for the US and also said that in his view Iran was working to develop nuclear weapons, he stressed that "the solution still lies in using... diplomatic, financial and international pressure".

Military opposition to an attack on Iran is bound to weigh heavily on President George W Bush but would not necessarily be the determining factor.

Whether President Bush would dissuade Israel from launching its own attack is not known.

Iran has warned that any attack would bring consequences, one of which could be an Iranian move to close the Straits of Hormuz, through which oil is transported from the Gulf. The effect on oil prices would be serious.

An Israeli cabinet minister and former chief of staff, Shaul Mofaz, has said that an attack on Iran is "unavoidable" if it "continues with its nuclear programme".

However, the timing of any attack remains uncertain.

Red lines

A recent ABC News report suggested that Israel might act before two "red lines" are reached.

However, Iran is not making highly enriched uranium suitable for a weapon, only low-enriched uranium useable as nuclear power fuel.

The International Atomic Energy Agency would probably spot any move to change this. So exactly how and when this "red line" might be reached is unclear.

Iran says that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons and a US National Intelligence Estimate has concluded that it probably gave up a nuclear weapons programme in 2003.