Strike on Iran may have unintended effect: Panetta

Panetta said this on Thursday sounding the administrations strongest reservations about a strike since the release of a new report on Tehrans escalating nuclear ambitions.He told Pentagon reporters that he agrees with earlier assessments that a strike would only set Irans nuclear program back by three years at most.Youve got to be careful of unintended consequences here. And those consequences could involve not only not really deterring Iran from what they want to do, but more importantly, it could have a serious impact in the region and it could have a serious impact on US forces in the region, Panetta said.His comments came amid escalating rhetoric surrounding the release of a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency that for the first time said Iran is suspected of conducting secret experiments whose sole purpose is the development of nuclear arms.In response, the State Department said Thursday that the US is looking at ways to increase economic pressure on Iran. Israeli leaders have said that without effective sanctions, they will not take any other options off the table.Tehran, meanwhile, warned that any strike by the US or Israel would trigger a strong response from Iranian forces. Iran insists it is pursuing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.Panetta, a former CIA director, said the IAEA report is in line with intelligence assessments that suggest Tehran is trying to develop its nuclear capabilities, but that there continues to be divisions within Iran over whether to build a bomb.Asked what will happen if sanctions dont work, Panetta said, I think our hope is that we dont reach that point and that Iran decides that it should join the international family. He said, however, that the US agrees that military action ought to be the last resort.State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the US is consulting with international allies over what the next steps should be. Certainly were going to look at ways that we can ramp up economic pressure on Iran, to convince the Islamic republic to return to negotiations on its nuclear program and come clean about its intent, Toner said.He added that all six countries that negotiate with Iran on nuclear issues the US, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia are united in their recognition that Irans nuclear program raises ... serious questions that need to be addressed.He said the U.N. already has put in place very stringent sanctions against Iran that are hampering the Iranian economy. But the US still wanted those better enforced.Were going to look at unilateral actions as well, he added. Were looking at the broad gamut of possibilities, how we can increase pressure on Iran.