February 23, 2007	Friday	Safar 5, 1428

WASHINGTON, Feb 22: The US capital is abuzz with reports that the Bush administration is considering a plan to launch missiles on targets inside Iran.

According to media reports, the plan aims at disabling Iran’s entire military structure. The targets include missile bases, command and control centres and air defences. Four nuclear sites would also be hit.

The action would be masterminded from Central Command in Florida, the reports said, adding that US military strategists believe the air attacks could be carried out without affecting ongoing missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some 30 US warships are already in the Persian Gulf.

Bush administration officials, however, dismissed such reports as speculative, saying that they had no plan to take military action against Iran and were instead focused on seeking a negotiated settlement to their differences with Tehran.

The media reports, however, insisted that the Bush administration would execute its plan if it believed Iran was close to developing nuclear weapons or found evidence to prove that the Iranian government is arming militants in Iraq

Diplomatic observers in Washington say that while the nuclear and Iraq disputes dominate the list of US grievances against Iran, differences between the two countries were much deeper.

American policy-makers believe that Iran is seeking to dominate the Middle East and want to prevent it from doing so.

But Middle East experts in Washington warn that the use of force would not allow America to achieve its target.—Agencies