U.S.: Iran Increasing Arms Support In Iraq

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff accused Iran on Friday of "ratcheting up" its arms and training support to insurgents in Iraq, and warned that the U.S. has the combat power to strike Tehran if needed.

Adm. Mike Mullen told a Pentagon news conference the military has evidence - such as date stamps on newly found weapons caches - that shows that recently made Iranian weapons are flowing into Iraq at a steadily increasing rate. Some of that firepower was used to support insurgents during the recent fighting in Basra in southern Iraq.

Evidence he has seen, Mullen said, "has shown me, though, that some of the weapons are recently not just found, but recently manufactured."

Both Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have made it clear that while all military options are on the table, they prefer at this point to use other pressures on Iran.

"The solution right now still lies in using other levers of national power, including diplomatic, financial and international pressure," Mullen said.

Mullen also acknowledged that launching a third conflict in that region would be extremely stressing for U.S. forces. Yet, at the same time, he said he has reserve capabilities in the Navy and the Air Force for any needed military action.

"It would be a mistake to think that we are out of combat capability," he said.

The latest findings, said Mullen, still do not prove that the highest leadership in the Iranian government has approved the stepped up aid to insurgents who are killing U.S. and Iraqi forces.

But he said it appears that the leaders of the Quds Force, an elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, are aware of the activity. And with their strong ties to Tehran's leaders, Mullen said, it's very difficult to believe that "there isn't knowledge there as well."

Still, Mullen added: "I have no smoking gun that could prove the highest (Iranian) leadership is involved in this."

In other developments: