October 3, 2007 (LPAC) -- American forces will try to hit both Iran and Pakistan simultaneously in an upcoming war, according to both Pakistani and Indian analysts.

The possibility of a U.S. attack on Iran has risen sharply according to the Pakistani news weekly, Weekly Pulse. This became evident from French Foreign Minister Bernard Kushner's statement, in an interview last month, that France should prepare for a war against Iran, in case negotiations fail.

Weekly Pulse points out that, besides Iran, Pakistan is also one of the "problematic" states, which Washington insiders believe could be saved by invading the western parts of the country where the Islamic militants have congregated. Both Republican and Democratic presidential hopefuls have reiterated their opinion that the imbroglio in Afghanistan cannot be solved without first taming Pakistan. The nuclear capability of Pakistan and its doubtful role in nuclear proliferation cases is also a matter of concern in Washington.

Indian military analysts agree that the Americans will not carry out two separate military operations and will try to hit both Iran and the western part of Pakistan simultaneously. When in September, Pentagon raised the number of U.S. attack targets in Iran from 1,000 to 2,000, Indian experts pointed out that the new targets identified were mostly in western Pakistan.

The Pakistani weekly also notes that a report, released last month by the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War, employs the term "proxy war," and claims that with the Sunni insurgency and al-Qaeda in Iraq "increasingly under control", Iranian intervention is the "next major problem the coalition must tackle". The dual attack on Iran and Pakistan could come as early as November 2007, they say.