Condoleezza Rice: Chances of strike on Iran 'increasing'

Chances are increasing that Israel will conduct a military strike on Iran over its nuclear program, according to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“I think the chances are increasing," she told Bloomberg Television anchor Trish Regan on Thursday, adding that a recent IAEA report found Iran was continuing to enrich uranium.

"The chances are increasing that the sanctions are not going to work in time and that someone is going to have to take out that Iranian program," Rice continued. "I will say this, the United States has to at least demonstrate that we have a useable military option and the Iranians have to believe it. President Obama has said he has a military option. We need to let the Iranians know that we are fully prepared. The United States, not Israel, we are fully prepared to do something about the Iranian nuclear problem."

But Rice insisted it was impossible to predict when a strike on Iran would occur without having access to privileged information.

Her comments about the use of military force by the United States echoes her hawkish speech at the Republican National Convention in Tampa on Wednesday night. Rice urged the United States to "sustain a balance of power that favors freedom" and reclaim its status as the custodian of world power.

"We cannot be reluctant to lead," Rice said.

Watch video, courtesy of Bloomberg TV, below: