▁there ' s ▁any ▁real ▁positive ▁outcome ▁of ▁a ▁military ▁strike ▁or ▁some ▁kind ▁of ▁conflict ." ▁ ▁He ▁advoc ated ▁negoti ating ▁with ▁Iran ▁and ▁d eter ring ▁Iran ▁from ▁ag gress ive ▁actions ▁and ▁said , ▁" Let ' s ▁not ▁precip itate ▁something ." ▁General ▁Martin ▁D emp sey , ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁J oint ▁Chief s ▁of ▁Staff , ▁said ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁that ▁a ▁un il ater al ▁Isra eli ▁attack ▁on ▁Iran ▁would ▁delay ▁but ▁not ▁destroy ▁Iran ' s ▁nuclear ▁program ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁wish ▁to ▁be ▁" comp licit " ▁in ▁such ▁an ▁attack . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁stated ▁that ▁san ctions ▁were ▁having ▁an ▁effect ▁and ▁should ▁be ▁given ▁time ▁to ▁work , ▁and ▁that ▁a ▁prem ature ▁attack ▁might ▁damage ▁the ▁' intern ational ▁coal ition ' ▁against ▁Iran . ▁Form er ▁Def ense ▁Secretary ▁and ▁former ▁C IA ▁Director ▁Robert ▁G ates ▁stated ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁that ▁san ctions ▁were ▁beginning ▁to ▁have ▁an ▁effect ▁and ▁that ▁" the ▁results ▁of ▁an ▁American ▁or ▁Isra eli ▁military ▁strike ▁on ▁Iran ▁could , ▁in ▁my ▁view , ▁prove ▁cat ast roph ic , ▁ha un ting ▁us ▁for ▁gener ations ▁in ▁that ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁world ." ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁senior ▁officers ▁of ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁American ▁intelligence ▁ag encies ▁stated ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁conclus ive ▁evidence ▁that ▁Iran ▁has ▁made ▁any ▁attempt ▁to ▁produce