US President Barack Obama has issued an unusual clarification of his vice president's words, saying on CNN that his administration had "absolutely not" given its blessing for an Israeli attack on Iran. Obama said that although Israel had the right to defend itself, US officials had emphasized the need to avoid "major conflict in the Middle East." Vice President Joe Biden earlier created a stir by suggesting the US would stand aside if Israel wanted to attack. "Israel can determine for itself – it's a sovereign nation – what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else," Biden had said on ABC television on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said a military strike to thwart Iran's nuclear weapons capability remained on the table but could have grave and unpredictable consequences. "I worry a great deal about the response of a country that gets struck," said Mullen in an AP interview. "It is a really important place to not go, if we cannot go there in any way, shape or form."
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