NATO: No intent to intervene in Iran

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen  said on Thursday that NATO had no intention of intervening in Iran and backs a diplomatic solution to the nuclear dispute. The alliance chief made the remarks at a press conference, after reports of a debate in Israel on the possibility of an attack. He said: "Let me stress that NATO has no intention whatsoever to intervene in Iran and NATO is not engaged as an alliance in the Iran question." "We support, of course, the international efforts to pursue political and diplomatic solutions to the Iran problem," he said, urging Tehran to comply with UN Security Council resolutions demanding a halt in nuclear activities. Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was seeking cabinet support for a military strike on Iran, after days of speculation about plans for an attack. London's Guardian newspaper reported that Britain's armed forces were stepping up contingency plans in the event the United States opted for military action against Iran.