WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - The Pentagon sharpened its warnings about Iran on Friday, saying Tehran had boosted its support for Iraqi militias and that Washington had military options it could use to force Iran to stop.

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the military had evidence Iran was providing new weapons to Iraqi insurgents despite Tehran's commitment to the government in Baghdad that it would halt such support.

"The Iranian government pledged to halt such activity some months ago," Mullen said. "It's plainly obvious they have not. Indeed, they seem to have gone the other way."

Mullen also said he was "extremely concerned" about Iran's activities throughout the region, including its support of Hezbollah and Hamas.

Mullen said the United States would continue to rely on diplomatic, economic and other nonmilitary efforts to encourage Iran to change its activities in Iraq and elsewhere but that the Pentagon had military options it could consider.

"When I say I don't want to take any military options off the table, that certainly more than implies that we have military options," Mullen told reporters at the Pentagon.

"That kind of planning activity has been going on for a long time. I think it will go on for some time into the future." (Reporting by Kristin Roberts, Editing by Jackie Frank)

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