Middle East
America, Israel and Iran – no way out
An American and or Israeli attack on Iran would have some daunting unintended consequences: a regional backlash which would end Iran's isolation and generate popular political support for its clerical regime both at home and abroad; attacks against US military assets and interests in the region; and "severe economic consequences" - read: sharply increased oil prices - which would undermine fragile economies in the US and Europe. Finally, he said, initiation of hostilities could produce "an escalation... that would not only involve many lives, but ... could consume the Middle East in a confrontation and a conflict that we would regret (emphasis added)".
War on Iran has already begun. Act before it threatens all of us
They don't give up. After a decade of blood-drenched failure in Afghanistan and Iraq, violent destabilisation of Pakistan and Yemen, the devastation of Lebanon and slaughter in Libya, you might hope the US and its friends had had their fill of invasion and intervention in the Muslim world. It seems not. For months the evidence has been growing that a US-Israeli stealth war against Iran has already begun, backed by Britain and France. Covert support for armed opposition groups has spread into a campaign of assassinations of Iranian scientists, cyber warfare, attacks on military and missile installations, and the killing of an Iranian general, among others.
Has the War with Iran Already Begun?
Two incidents that occurred on Sunday - Iran's claim of a shoot-down of a U.S. drone, and an explosion outside the British embassy in Bahrain - may have been unrelated. But they appear to add to growing evidence that an escalating covert war by the West is under way against Iran, and that Tehran is retaliating with greater intensity than ever. Asked whether the United States, in cooperation with Israel, was now engaged in a covert war against Iran's nuclear program that may include the Stuxnet virus, the blowing-up of facilities and the assassination or kidnapping of scientists, one recently retired U.S. official privy to up-to-date intelligence would not deny it.
US Edging closer towards war with Iran
Danielle Pletka, head of the American Enterprise Institute's (AEI) foreign policy shop. "The biggest problem for the United States is not Iran getting a nuclear weapon and testing it, it's Iran getting a nuclear weapon and not using it. Because the second that they have one and they don't do anything bad, all of the naysayers are going to come back and say, "See, we told you Iran is a responsible power. We told you Iran wasn't getting nuclear weapons in order to use them immediately." ... And they will eventually define Iran with nuclear weapons as not a problem."
Why Iran lashes out at West?
Amid rising clamor in Israel, the United States, and Europe to stop Iran's nuclear program - possibly with military action - a brief but incendiary news item emerged in Iran. It purported to quote from the last will of the architect of Iran's missile program, "martyr" Maj. Gen. Hassan Moghaddam, who died when a mysterious explosion hit a Revolutionary Guard base last month. "Write on my tombstone: This is the grave of the one who wanted to annihilate Israel," the obscure Student News Agency reported on Nov. 30, in apparent contradiction of the official line that Iran's missile program is purely defensive.
Iran arrests 12 ‘CIA spies’ for targeting nuclear plans
Iran has arrested 12 spies of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the official IRNA news agency reports. Parviz Sorouri, an influential lawmaker, said the agents were targeting Iran's military and its nuclear programme. He said they were operating in co-ordination with Israel's Mossad and other regional agencies.
Three Possibilities of Foreign Military Attack
After a period of public verbal confrontations between Iranian and Western officials, the website of Iran s supreme leader ayatollah Khamenei has taken the possibility of military action against Iran seriously and now posts an analysis on three possible military scenarios Iran could be subjected to. In a related development, a Revolutionary Guard commander has threatened that Iran would fire missiles at Israel if the country was attacked by that country.
Deadly blast occurred during intercontinental missile test
Official Iran training Gaza terrorists
Palestinian terrorists in Gaza have trained in Iran and learned how to operate sophisticated anti-tank missiles, an Israeli defense official said. The unidentified official told The Jerusalem Post the army estimates Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza have in their possession advanced Russian-made missiles capable of penetrating tanks and armored personnel carriers.
Iran Blast’s Origins Remain a Mystery
The explosion last weekend in Iran that killed 17 members of the armed forces, including a founder of the country's missile program, occurred while researchers were working on weapons capable of delivering Israel a "strong punch in the mouth" and disrupted their project by a few days, the Iranian military chief of staff said Wednesday.
Israeli secret service the Mossad linked to Iran military blast
Is an Attack on Iran’s Nuclear Program a Bad Idea
James Fallows has a characteristically thoughtful post up about the latest Iran brouhaha, and comes to the conclusion (actually, he came to the conclusion quite some time ago) that bombing Iranian nuclear sites -- either by America, Israel, or some combination of states to be named later -- is a bad idea.
Iran Threatens Street Fight With “Zionist Soldiers,” US, UK, All of Europe
Certain high-ranking officials within the Iranian government warned that in case Iran comes under a military attack, the battlefield won't be Iran, but "the entire Europe and the US". "Iranian forces will fight with the enemies with maximum might and power all throughout the European and US soil, if Iran comes under attack," he reiterated.
Who’s in favour of sanctioning Iran
The loudest, most influential organisations pushing for sanctions against Iran have an open pro-Israel agenda, regardless of their positioning on the political spectrum. The best resourced of all is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), self-described as "the most influential foreign policy lobbying organisation on Capitol Hill". AIPAC lobbied aggressively for the recent bellicose bill proposals, featuring them and its lead sponsors on the front page of its website. Sanctions are "having an impact" and "more are needed", the accompanying captions read. AIPAC is also a key backer of the push to sanction Iran's central bank, a move that some Iranian officials consider an act of war.
Israel’s Warnings On Iran Get Quiet Nods In Gulf
Among the many alliances of convenience in the Middle East, one is so unusual that the partners can barely hint about it publicly: Israel and the Gulf Arab states linked by shared fears over Iran's nuclear program. While their deeper disputes on the Palestinians effectively block any strategic breakthroughs, the recent warnings from Israel and the West about military options against Iran invariably draw in the Gulf and its rare meeting of minds with Jerusalem.
UN report ‘to suggest Iran nuclear weapons work’
Do We Always Have to Be Taken In By This Transparent Ploy
Every few years we have an outbreak of media and official speculation that Israel is on the verge of attacking Iran, perhaps in coordination with the United States. These mini-orgies of incestuous reportage typically involve reports of Israeli military preparation, a flashy show of long-range bombing runs, politicians saying that Iran is so close to a bomb that only bombing can stop them, and worried commentary that American and other officials seem to be persuaded that this time Israel is serious
Israel engaged in war of signals over nuclear Iran
The possibility that Israel may launch a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities is heading the Jewish state's public agenda again, dominating news reports and generating debate and analysis. It began Friday, when respected veteran journalist Nahum Barnea published an article entitled 'Atomic Pressure,' which asked whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak have already decided to launch a strike.
Israel Missile Capable Of Striking Iran, Officials Say
An Israeli official said Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to persuade his Cabinet to authorize a military strike against Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program - a discussion that comes as Israel successfully tests a missile believed capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to Iran.
Israeli army test-fires missile capable of reaching Iran
Israeli prisoner swap may be prelude to attack on Iran
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu s decision to execute a 1,000-for-1 prisoner exchange last week despite his frequently voiced opposition to such lopsided deals is seen by several Israeli military commentators as an effort to "clear the deck" before possibly undertaking an attack on Iran s nuclear facilities.
U.S. May Have Concealed Deterrent Aim of Iranian Plan
But when the scanty evidence in the FBI account about what Arbabsiar actually proposed is interpreted in the context of Iran s past strategy for deterring external attack, it suggests that Arbabsiar s mission may have been to arrange for surveillance of, and contingency plans for, targets to be hit in the event that Iran is attacked by the United States or Israel.
Will Israel bomb Iran without notifying the US
In recent weeks, intense discussions have taken place in Israeli military and intelligence circles about whether or not to launch a military strike against Iran s nuclear facilities. Apparently, the key question in the debate was how to ensure that the United States took part in the attack or, at the very least, intervened on Israel s side if the initial strike triggered a wider war.
Pepe Escobar Iranian plot was an inside job
A US government informant acting as a member of the Zetas, a drug cartel in Mexico, helped thwart an Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States on American soil. Now Obama's top national security aides are seeking new international sanctions against Iran. Pepe Escobar, correspondent for the Asia Times, tells us who's to gain from the situation.
Iran totally rejects Palestine UN statehood bid
American hiker freed by Iran has Israeli father
Must America Accept A Nuclear Iran
The world learned to its horror the price of appeasement when, fearing war, it allowed Adolf Hitler to ignore the Treaty of Versailles in his quest to establish a Thousand Year Reich. More than 50 million people paid that price in death. Now the world is facing another mad dictatorship in an Iran bent on mass destruction.
The coming Republican push on Iran
The rise of the Arab masses has pushed Iran out of the headlines -- for now. Even Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose theatrics rarely pass unnoticed, has lately failed to grab the attention of the U.S. media. America's attention has instead turned toward Egypt, Syria and Libya. This is likely to change in the next few months. Not as a result of any particular developments in Iran or between the United States and Iran, but because of the 2012 presidential elections.
Was Iran behind 9 11?
Israel wages war on Iranian scientists
Iran tries ‘Israeli spy’ for scientist’s murder
Iran’s covert war with Israel in Caspian
Iran to U.S., Israel: Bring On the Cyber War
Israeli Military Reportedly Plotting To Cripple Iran In Cyberspace
Iran steps up assault on terror
Iran recently offered to assist in a new probe of the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Argentina that killed 85 people - an event often attributed to Iran and its Hezbollah ally. While Iran has hinted at evidence that might be in its favor, this is unlikely, and another motive could be at work in Tehran stepping forward to help solve the case.
Iran Guards ready to close Strait of Hormuz
Iran fires 14 missiles in 2nd day of war games
Iran unveils underground smart missile silos as it kicks off large scale war games
Inquiry on Israeli boats in Iran port
An Israeli parliamentary committee will launch an investigation today into how a local shipping company blacklisted last week by the US State Department managed to trade with Iran in possible breach of Israeli law and international sanctions. According to the international shipping database Equasis, at least 13 ships owned by Israel's Ofer Group - owned by the colourful brothers Sammy and Yuli Ofer - have anchored in Iran over the past 10 years
More vigilance on Iran
There is a man-bites-dog quality to the imposition of American penalties on an Israeli conglomerate last week for allegedly selling an oil tanker to Iran. Bigger deals with Iran have been exposed, but what sets this apart is the Israeli connection. Since international sanctions target Iranian nuclear ambitions - which foremost constitute an existential danger to Israel - it s naturally unexpected and entirely more incongruous to find Israelis dealing with Iran than to find nationals of other countries.
Iran backs Syria since Damascus supports resistance
In Shift, Egypt Warms to Iran and Hamas, Israel’s Foes
Jerusalem Bombing Raises Fears of Militants’ Ties to Iran
World powers still mishandling Iran’s nuclear program
For non-proliferation efforts against Iran to progress, INSS researcher says US will have to drastically change diplomatic mindset. The world s powers continue to mishandle the Iranian nuclear threat and the optimal time for striking at Tehran s nuclear program has long passed according to two leading Israeli authorities on Iran s nuclear program.
Israel criticizes passage of Iranian warships through Suez Canal
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel took a "grave view" of the passage of two Iranian warships through the Suez Canal en route to Syria. The ships are expected to start crossing the canal early Tuesday, the Associated Press reported, the first such passage since Iran's 1979 revolution. Egypt's ruling military council granted an Iranian request.
Iran warships’ plan to use Suez Canal ‘cancelled’
Ted Koppel’s Timid Take on Iran-gate
Ted Koppel, whose broadcasting career got a big boost from the Iranian-hostage crisis in 1980, doesn't seem aware that the long-running cover-up of how Republicans sabotaged President Jimmy Carter's negotiations has collapsed - or Koppel may simply prefer to stick with the safer version of the story.
Stuxnet Worm Used Against Iran Was Tested in Israel
The Dimona complex in the Negev desert is famous as the heavily guarded heart of Israel s never-acknowledged nuclear arms program, where neat rows of factories make atomic fuel for the arsenal. Over the past two years, according to intelligence and military experts familiar with its operations, Dimona has taken on a new, equally secret role as a critical testing ground in a joint American and Israeli effort to undermine Iran s efforts to make a bomb of its own.
Why A Kickboxing Champion Became An Israeli Spy Â
This week Iranian authorities, supporting their claim of an Israeli plot --- including the assassination of Iranian scientists --- to undermine the regime, put Majid Jamali Fash on national television. Fash dutifully confessed to worked for Israeli's intelligence service Mossad, receiving training overseas before returning to Iran to carry out nefarious plots.
Iran claims Mossad link to scientist’s death
Iran's intelligence chief today claimed that more than 10 people arrested in connection with the killing of a nuclear physicist last year were linked to Israeli spy agency the Mossad. Heidar Moslehi revealed few new details to bolster the claim, made a day earlier, that Tehran's investigation into the killing had led its agents to infiltrate the Mossad