Reuters:

The top U.S. military officer said on Wednesday he favored more dialogue with Tehran to avoid a confrontation as a senior Iranian leader indicated his country was open to negotiations over its nuclear program.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said a war with Iran would be "extremely stressful" on the U.S. military. But he made clear the United States would act to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if Tehran tried to block the key oil transport route in the Gulf.

Tensions have flared in recent days amid reports Israel is planning for a possible strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. That has sent crude oil prices near record highs and led U.S. officials to publicly criticize the reports.

"My position with regard to the Iranian regime hasn't changed. They remain a destabilizing factor in the region," said Mullen, recently returned from a trip to Israel.

"But I'm convinced that the solution still lies in using other elements of national power to change Iranian behavior, including diplomatic, financial and international pressure," he told reporters at the Pentagon.

"There is a need for better clarity, even dialogue at some level," he said.

President George W. Bush reiterated that diplomacy was the first option to address Iran's nuclear program, but he repeated that Washington had all options on the table.

Posted by Laura at July 2, 2008 02:11 PM