AMMAN, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The top U.S. military officer on Tuesday warned that Iran's nuclear ambitions may spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
In a press conference here on Tuesday, Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Iran's move to increase uranium enrichment may cause further "instability in the region."
"They are on a path to becoming a nuclear weapons capable country and that is very dangerous," he said, adding that all options are on the table in the U.S. response to the Iranian nuclear program.
Mullen, who also met on Tuesday with King Abdullah II of Jordan and other senior officials, highlighted the strong military ties between Jordan and the U.S., adding that the U.S. aims to learn from Amman in counter-terrorism operations.
The top U.S. commander voiced optimism of a "smooth" transition in reducing U.S. troop levels in Iraq over the next year, stressing that Washington's military commitment in the region is not open-ended.
"We have no plan to occupy Iraq and Afghanistan," he said, underlining U.S. desire to eventually withdraw troops from the two countries.
During the meeting with the Jordanian leader, the two sides discussed means to foster bilateral ties, especially in military training and U.S. military assistance to Jordan, according to the state-run Petra news agency.
Talks also covered developments in the Middle East and efforts to restart serious and effective Palestinian-Israeli negotiations based on the two-state solution, which envisages the creation of an independent Palestinian state that lives side by side with Israel in peace and security.
