JERUSALEM - Iran may develop missiles capable of reaching the US by 2015, a report delivered to Congress Monday night asserts.

"With sufficient foreign assistance, Iran could probably develop and test an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the United States by 2015," the report by the US Department of Defense states.

It adds that "Iran's nuclear program and its willingness to keep open the possibility to develop nuclear weapons is a central part of its deterrent strategy."

The report indicates that while Iran has a sizeable conventional military force, it would be no match for a “well trained, sophisticated military such as that of the United States or its allies" in the event of armed conflict.

The report also notes Iran’s duplicitous behavior in Iraq and Afghanistan, where it pledges to promote stability but all the while continues to support insurgents and terrorist groups inside both countries.

On Sunday, US Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that an American strike on Iran would go “a long way” to delay the country’s nuclear program. The Telegraph reported that Mullen, speaking at a forum in Columbia University, said a military strike was the “last option” but plans for such a contingency had been made.