TEHRAN – Tehran has not decided to make a nuclear weapon, Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in an interview with CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” which was scheduled to be broadcast on Sunday.

 

“We are of the opinion that Iran is a rational actor,” Dempsey said. “We also know, or we believe we know,” that Iran has not decided to make a nuclear weapon, Army General Martin Dempsey stated, according to the Bloomberg.

 

Elsewhere in his remarks, Dempsey said that an Israeli attack on Iran would be “destabilizing.” 

 

“It’s not prudent at this point to decide to attack Iran,” Dempsey said, adding that the U.S. government is confident the Israelis “understand our concerns.”

 

The White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon began a two-day visit to Israel on Saturday to discuss Iran and other issues, such as the issue of Syria. 

 

“A strike… would be destabilizing and wouldn’t achieve their long-term objectives,” Dempsey said of the Israelis. 

 

Crude oil prices increased 4.8 percent in February on concern the tensions between Iran and Israel will lead to a military conflict that disrupts oil supplies from the Persian Gulf. 

 

Iran is OPEC’s second-biggest producer. Iranian officials have threatened to cut off the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of crude oil trade passes.