U.S. Had To Let Iranian Arms Shipment Go

US forced to let Iran arms shipment go

(CBS/AP) The nation's top military officer said Tuesday the United States did all it could to intercept a suspected arms shipment to Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, but its hands were tied.

Separately, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said it is too soon to tell whether the prospect of new U.S. engagement with Iran will bear fruit.

Mullen confirmed that a Cypriot-flagged ship intercepted in the Red Sea last week was carrying Iranian arms, and U.S. authorities suspect that the shipment was ultimately bound for the Gaza Strip, where Hamas and Israel are observing a shaky truce after three weeks of fighting.

"The United States did as much as we could do legally," Mullen said, adding that he would like more authority to act in such cases. "We were not authorized to seize the weapons or do anything like that."