Politics | Robert Gates Gates: US Lacks Cohesive Strategy in Iran White House downplays defense secretary's missive to Jones By Newser Editors and Wire Services Posted Apr 18, 2010 7:04 AM CDT Copied Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaks at the International Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, April 17, 2010. (Vahid Salemi) See 3 more photos The US lacks a viable long-term plan for dealing with Iran's nuclear program, Defense Secretary Robert Gates wrote in a January memo that one anonymous White House official called a "wake-up call." As the New York Times reports, the missive came amid an administration push to develop a full range of options for President Obama—both diplomatic and military. The White House downplays the report, with National Security Adviser James Jones, the memo recipient, insisting it's ready whatever the outcome in Iran: "The fact that we don’t announce publicly our entire strategy for the world to see doesn’t mean we don’t have a strategy that anticipates the full range of contingencies—we do.” Other officials tell the Times that Gates likely meant the memo as a warning to a somewhat green administration that it needed to shore up strategy. Read These Next White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. New York Times ranks the best movies of the 21st century. New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. A man has been deported for kicking an airport customs beagle. See 3 more photos Report an error