Gates: No Immediate Military Threat from Iran

January 17, 2008 | Tom Vogel

Morning Edition
January 17, 2008

Iran poses “significant challenges” but is not a direct military threat to the United States in the near term, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in an NPR interview. Gates also said he has no plans to send more troops to Afghanistan beyond the recently announced deployment of about 3,000 Marines.

In an interview with Steve Inskeep, Gates discussed threats to American security and how he judges where U.S. forces need to be.

Inskeep: Is Iran the greatest threat that the United States is likely to face in the final year of this administration?

Gates: Well, I think Iran is certainly one of the most significant challenges. We continue to be concerned about their ongoing enrichment programs, their unwillingness to suspend in the face of broad international pressure to do so. So I think it will continue to be a challenge.

Is there a reason you describe them as a challenge rather than a threat?

Well, when I think of a threat, I think of a direct military threat. And while the jury is out in terms of whether they have eased up on their support to those opposing us in Iraq, I don’t see the Iranians, in the near term, as a direct military threat to the United States.

You have commented on Iran’s role in Afghanistan, which is the next country that I want to ask about. Do you expect that NATO, which is currently involved in combat operations in the southern part of the country, will have a significantly different role in Afghanistan one year from now?

No, I think the role will be very similar. And I think it’s one that combines military action with economic development and civic action. Our NATO allies are playing a significant role, particularly Canada and the United Kingdom and the Dutch. This kind of role, even with the addition of our Marines will remain essentially the same.