WASHINGTON (AFP) — US intelligence does not know whether Iran intends to develop nuclear weapons, but at a minimum Tehran is keeping that option open, the new US intelligence director said.

Retired admiral Dennis Blair said US intelligence assesses that Iran has not restarted nuclear weapons design and weaponization work that it halted in late 2003.

"Although we do not know whether Iran currently intends to develop nuclear weapons, we assess Tehran at a minimum is keeping open the option to develop them," he said in an annual threat assessment to Congress.

That seems like a reasonable assessment to me. The evidence to date still bolsters the position that Iran currently has no active weapons program or plans to begin one - but it has the knowledge and thus the option to do so.

The only scorn I have is for "perpetual campaigning" politics that means Obama and his officials would be crucified if they didn't talk tough and walk John Wayne tall on Iran.

Regards, C

However, I don’t believe that it would be in the U. S. interests to engage in military action against Iran

I assume Israel will do the dirty work, as they have repeated, should Iran's program progress much further.