WASHINGTON, May 22: US forces are ‘spread too thin’ to take a military action against Iran, says a congressional report, which also warns that most Iranian would resist foreign forces entering their country.

The report, prepared for US lawmakers as a policy paper, observes that because of the difficulties involved in launching a successful military action against Iran, “an all out military action to remove Iran’s regime does not appear to be under serious consideration within the (Bush) Administration”.

“Most experts believe US forces are spread too thin, including about 133,000 deployed in Iraq, to undertake such action, and that US forces would be greeted with hostility by most Iranians,” warns the report compiled by the Congressional Research Service.

But some experts, according to the report, believe that limited military action, such as air or missile strikes against suspected nuclear sites, should be considered.

“Most experts believe the US could carry out such strikes with cruise missiles and combat aircraft and bombers from bases in or within range of the Gulf and from aircraft carriers.”

President Bush, however, insists that ‘all options’, including a military action, ‘are on the table’, and a January 2005 New Yorker article by Seymour Hersh asserts that Mr Bush has authorised covert special forces missions into Iran to assess potential nuclear-related targets for a US air strike.