Petraeus: Iran's nuclear infrastructure can be bombed

The deployment in the Middle East of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group in the first week of January adds muscle to the words of Gen. David Petraeus, CENTCOM commander, on Jan 10 that Iranian nuclear infrastructure, albeit strengthened against attack with enhanced underground tunnels, wasn’t fully protected.

“Well, they certainly can be bombed,” he said to CNN. “The level of effect would vary with who it is that carries it out, what ordnance they have and what capability they can bring to bear.”

This judgment contradicts recent US media estimates that Iran’s nuclear facilities buried deep in fortified tunnels are now protected against air or missile strikes.

Declining to comment on the likelihood of an Israeli strike, Gen. Petraeus said there was still time for diplomacy, but pointed out: “It would be almost literally irresponsible if Centcom were not to have been thinking about ‘what ifs’ and making plans for a whole variety of different contingencies.”

DEBKAfile