US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain on Saturday that if diplomacy failed to stop Iran's nuclear program, all options were open to him.
He dismissed the notion that the United States was reluctant
to use force.
At the ceremony, the Pentagon chief was asked why Washington did not respond to last month's drone strikes and shelling of a Western military base used by the Western coalition fighting ISIS in Syria. Keeps And we will defend ourselves and our interests and for that we can choose the time and place of our choice. "
Austin added: "And no country or individual should be
misunderstood. We are committed to defending ourselves and our interests, and
that includes our partners.
"We are also determined not to allow Iran to acquire
nuclear weapons."
Iran and world powers are set to resume Vienna talks later
this month aimed at restoring the 2015 nuclear deal.
Tehran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons.
Austin said the main goal of the United States is to
strengthen its "unprecedented" alliance in the Middle East and that
military power in the region with tens of thousands of troops is an option for
Washington.
He said the United States is committed to security in the
Middle East.
After ending the 20-year war in Afghanistan in August, the
United States is ready to withdraw its troops from Iraq by the end of this
year.
Iran's Gulf neighbors are concerned that Iran may be granted
concessions in the resumption of nuclear talks in Vienna on November 29. The
United States and Israel have accused Tehran of using drones and missiles to
attack US forces and Israeli ships in the Gulf to destabilize the region.
Just two days after security forces clashed with supporters
of Iranian-backed parties that lost the recent Iraqi election, the Iraqi prime
minister survived an assassination attempt.
On Saturday, Iran said it had seized a foreign ship
smuggling diesel into the Gulf.
Since February, Iran and Israel have been engaged in a
"shadow war" in which ships of various countries have come under
attack in the Gulf waters.
