Pentagon says that Iran may develop intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking US by 2015 but could need foreign assistance to improve its delivery technology.<br/>Deputy under secretary of defense policy told senate yeaterday that it could take beyond a year for Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon.<br/>Miller told lawmakers that Iran could convert its Safir space launch vehicle, which Tehran claimed to have put into orbit in 2009, into a long range missile.<br/>The Pentagon also made it clear that US missile defense programme was not intended to affect the strategic balance with Russia and China. It said the US will continue to defend the homeland against the threat of limited ballistic missile attacks. The top priority for US missile defense efforts is to defend the US from the threat of missile attack by regional actors such as North Korea or Iran.<br/> <br/><br/>