Head of the US Central Command Admiral William Fallon has said the Pentagon is not preparing for a pre-emptive attack against Iran.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Adm. William Fallon said while resolving the Iranian issue is a 'challenge' for Washington, a military strike is not 'in the offing'.

"Another war is just not where we want to go," said Adm. Fallon, who oversees military operations in the Middle East.

He added that attacking Iran as a means to force Tehran to alter its nuclear policies is not 'the first choice in [his] book'.

According to several senior active and retired military officers, the Pentagon believes striking Iran would be 'a strategic mistake'.

The US and its allies have accused the Islamic Republic of pursuing nuclear weaponry, while Iran and UN nuclear watchdog have repeatedly rejected the allegations as 'baseless'.

Amid Washington's increasing bellicose rhetoric against Tehran, analysts have raised the question whether Washington plans to wage a war against Iran.

MD/HGH/MG