The slippery slope

The Sunday Telegraph reported yesterday that British defense chiefs are meeting today to consider the consequences of possibile air strikes against Iran. According to the paper: It is believed that an American-led attack, designed to destroy Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear bomb, is "inevitable" if Teheran’s leaders fail to comply with United Nations demands ...

The Sunday Telegraph reported yesterday that British defense chiefs are meeting today to consider the consequences of possibile air strikes against Iran. According to the paper:

The Sunday Telegraph reported yesterday that British defense chiefs are meeting today to consider the consequences of possibile air strikes against Iran. According to the paper:

It is believed that an American-led attack, designed to destroy Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear bomb, is "inevitable" if Teheran’s leaders fail to comply with United Nations demands to freeze their uranium enrichment programme.

There are thought to be at least eight known sites within Iran involved in the production of nuclear materials, although it is generally accepted that there are many more secret installations.

The storyline is too familiar. So the question is: Are these reports early warning signs that the slippery slope to military action against Iran will inevitably lead to some kind of attack, or are the Brits planting stories to bolster the threat in order to compensate for Jack Straw’s penchant for taking the military option off the table?

Bonus: A handy graphic on "How the US Could Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Programme." 

Carolyn O'Hara is a senior editor at Foreign Policy.

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