Iran News and Discussions

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 02 Dec 2011 22:11

BERN, Switzerland (AP) - Police in the Swiss capital Bern have arrested two young men for throwing incendiary devices and stones at Iran's embassy.

A police statement says the attack happened shortly after 3pm (10pm Singapore time) on Wednesday and the embassy suffered no damage.

The unidentified men were detained by security guards and police and their motives are being investigated.

Switzerland has traditionally played the role of neutral mediator between Iran and western countries such as the United States.

Who were the "two young men", and why are they unidentified? Where they:
(a) Local Europeans? (Breivik types)
(b) MeK people?
(c) Irani agents?

IIRC, the largish Swiss embassy in Tehran earlier had an office out of which a US consulate informally operated.

manju · Post by **manju** » 04 Dec 2011 22:13

Iran military shoots down U.S. drone: state TV

http://news.yahoo.com/iran-military-sho ... 04389.html

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 05 Dec 2011 09:36

NY Times report on blast at Missile Site

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/world ... siles.html

WASHINGTON — The huge explosion that destroyed a major missile-testing site near Tehran three weeks ago was a major setback for Iran’s most advanced long-range missile program, according to American and Israeli intelligence officials and missile technology experts.

..

Last week, the Institute for Science and International Security, a private group in Washington, released a commercial satellite image of the destroyed base.

It called Iran’s labors there integral to “a major milestone in the development of a new missile.”

Government and private analysts described the blast at the military base, which occurred Nov. 12 and killed Gen. Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, the head of Iran’s missile program, as a major setback — not just because of the extensive damage to the site but also because of the loss of expertise from the specialists working there.

General Moghaddam’s funeral was attended by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “That was a statement of how central Moghaddam’s work was,” one American intelligence official said.

The sprawling complex where the blast took place has expanded dramatically in the last few years. Michael Elleman, a main author of the International Institute’s 148-page report on Iranian missiles, examined the public images of the destroyed base and said in an interview that the damage and other evidence was consistent with solid-fuel technology.

Mr. Elleman added that the desert area around the base bristled with military compounds and networks of buildings and bunkers — all plainly visible in Google Earth images. Security cordons ringed the bases.

He noted that the region south of the destroyed base, roughly one and five miles distant, held two separate complexes that carried the distinctive signature of a firing range for solid fuels.

The closer of the two sites has eight test stands in a row, and the desert landscape next to them had been clearly scorched by fiery plumes. In such tests, the missile engines are mounted horizontally and shoot their blasts straight out.

The more distant complex has three test stands in a row, the middle one bearing bold scorch marks from a recent firing.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 05 Dec 2011 11:32

http://www.inquisitr.com/165021/iran-sh ... e-actions/
Iran Shoots Down US Drone, Promises More Actions

Iran’s military announced on Sunday that they have managed to shoot down a U.S. reconnaissance drone in the eastern part of the country. According to Iranian officials the plane was shot down for violating Iranian airspace.Speaking on Iran’s Arabic-language Al Alam state television an Iranian official responded:
“Iran’s military has downed an intruding RQ-170 American drone in eastern Iran.”“The spy drone, which has been downed with little damage, was seized by the Iranian armed forces.”
The attack on the military plane couldn’t come at a worse time for the country as they are attempting to quell international outrage over the British embassy in Tehran, a site that was overrun last week after London announced sanctions against Iran’s central bank.In response to that attack all Iranian diplomats were expelled from London and various other EU members pulled their staff from the country.Speaking of their attack the same Iranian official said:“The Iranian military’s response to the American spy drone’s violation of our airspace will not be limited to Iran’s borders.”At this time the United States and Israel has not rule out military actions against Iran, a growing possibility as the country continues to build out their nuclear enrichment program, facilities that many world leaders see as nothing more than an attempt to build nuclear weapons.Iranian officials have promised to block off oil shipments coming through the Strait of Hormuz if attacks occur, that Gulf passage supplies nearly 40% of all traded oil from the Gulf region.Do you think Iran’s constant attacks against foreign sources will lead

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 05 Dec 2011 21:40

Iran's regime mouthpiece PressTV has regularly been coming out with reports inciting Kashmiri Shi'as against India or highlighting their "repression". Here is the latest one:

India detains 70 Shia Muslims in Kashmir

Code: Select all

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/213798.html

Police forces have attacked people at Shia Muslim religious processions, arresting at least 70 in the Indian-administered Kashmir.

Thousands of Shias mourning the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammad's grandson, Imam Hossein, in Srinagar were attacked by police trying to disperse the crowds by using batons, tears gas and water cannons, the Associated Press reported.

Police have imposed a curfew in some parts of Srinagar to prevent the gatherings during the month of Muharram from turning to anti-India protests. ...

Recall that it was PressTV reports that incited the street protests in the valley recently.

Earlier, Kashmiri Shi'a used to be pro-India. IIRC, it were Shi'a shepherds who alerted the Indian Army to Kargil incursions.

However, of late ayatollah Khamenei's regime has chosen to start playing the Shi'a card against India. Hence the turn affecting Kashmir also. IMHO, Iran is playing a very duplicitous and manipulative game as far as using religious sentiments is concerned. It is willing to bury the Shi'a hatchet with Pakistan, while using the Shi'a card against India.

Upendra · Post by **Upendra** » 05 Dec 2011 22:09

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 05 Dec 2011 22:42

At this point is looks like the Irani mullacracy will:
1. Play the Shi'a card in West Asia
2. Downplay it in North Africa and support "Islamic revival"
3. Downplay and ignore ethnic cleansing of Shi'as in Pakistan, Paki Baluchistan, and Taliban Afghanistan.
4. Play the Shi'a card against India in Kashmir.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 06 Dec 2011 00:16

In that pic above, do those chains have blades attached to them or am I seeing things?

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 06 Dec 2011 01:23

^^^ Yeah, they're the bladed chains used for self-flagellation in the frenzied Shi'a spectacle of "taazia" during the month of Moharram. Usually they also chant imprecations on Muawiya and other Sunni caliphs. In other parts of India with big Shi'a populations, Indian police have to come out in force during such times to prevent Shi'a Sunni rioting. However, here in Kashmir, the Shi'ite processions have taken an anti-India turn after Ayatollah Khamenei started to make anti-India statements over the past 3-4 years, during the Congress-lead US-India bonhomie.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 06 Dec 2011 04:24

Threatened by New Sanctions, Iran Warns of $250 Oil
New York Times - ‎55 minutes ago‎
Alarmed by the possibility of new Western penalties that could abruptly reduce or even halt its oil exports, Iran issued a shrill warning on Monday that crude oil prices could more than double to at least $250 a barrel

Threatened by New Sanctions, Iran Warns of $250 Oil

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 06 Dec 2011 14:23

Carl wrote:However, of late ayatollah Khamenei's regime has chosen to start playing the Shi'a card against India. Hence the turn affecting Kashmir also. IMHO, Iran is playing a very duplicitous and manipulative game as far as using religious sentiments is concerned. It is willing to bury the Shi'a hatchet with Pakistan, while using the Shi'a card against India.

It is important for India to have Iran on our sides. But with all these games that Khamenei is playing that would be really difficult.

The one way of making Iran pro-India is if one can make Iran really anti-Pakistan. Actually Iran has all the reasons to dislike Pakistan considering all the anti-Shia violence being perpetrated in Pakistan, but somehow Iran is trying to keep its geostrategic politics isolated from its sectarian interests. Its foreign policy is quite pro-Pakistani even as Shia get killed in Pakistan and Afghanistan from Pakistan-sponsored groups.

One way to break that isolation is to incite the people in Iran itself and make them aware of what is happening in Pakistan to all the Shi'a. The news needs to filter through to Iranians. One needs to show the Iranian people how Iranian leaders, especially the Supreme Leader has been ignoring his duties as the protector of the faithful, how the Iranian leadership is simply allowing Pakistanis to murder, in fact commit genocide onto the Shi'a.

So what outlet to use for the mission?

First we need a lot more reporting from Pakistani Shi'ites pouring in into Indian IB Ministry. Secondly we need to find a means to bring that news with all their gory details to Iranian living rooms and Iranian listeners and readers.

I think we need a two-vector approach. We should establish a media coordination presence in Iraq. We need to feed whatever TV, radio, newspaper channels they have in Persian. If they don't have such, we help them establish such by funding them. Then we feed all the Pakistani news to them.

The news has to be in Persian, so that the Iraqis don't perceive the channel as trying to incite Sunni-Shia hatred in Iraq itself. If India does so from Indian territory itself, then the game would be too obvious, and GoI would not want to be seen playing sectarian violence games.

Iranians must be shown that for all their bluster the Iranian leaders are weaklings for not coming to the aid of all the Shi'a who die in Pakistan.

The same message needs to be given to the Kashmiri Shi'a too telling them that Iran would not come to their aid. Only India can protect them.

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 08 Dec 2011 05:31

China, Russia want to inspect downed U.S. drone

On Sunday, an unidentified Iranian military source said that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic had downed an advanced RQ-170 unmanned U.S. spy plane, which had violated the country’s airspace along the eastern border.

There are unconfirmed reports that Iran may put the drone on public display.

[...]

U.S. officials considered conducting a covert mission inside Iran to retrieve or destroy the stealth drone but ultimately concluded such a secret operation wasn’t worth the risk of provoking a more explosive clash with Tehran, a U.S. official said, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 08 Dec 2011 09:43

Is it possible to rig drones with explosives and programmed to explode them in case of radio jamming and when altitude decreases less than 20 feet in hostile territories, so that any advanced electronics and communication systems are not compromised in any way.

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 08 Dec 2011 20:21

X-post from TSP dhaaga:

Iran guns down 3 Pakistani fishermen

QUETTA: At least three Pakistani fishermen were gunned down, while two others were injured, by Iranian security forces when they wandered into Iranian territorial waters in the Pasaband area, about 40 kilometres off the Jewani coast in Pakistan.

The fishermen, who belonged to Sindh, had entered into Balochistan from Karachi, police officials said.

District Police Officer Gwadar Liaquat Baloch confirmed the incident and said the bodies are yet to be handed over to Pakistani officials.

“The trawler, Al-Mariam, entered into Iran’s territorial waters when Iranian security forces opened fire on them, killing three crew members on the spot, while injuring another two,” he added.

Station Officer of Jewani Imam Baksh said that there were 20 to 25 people onboard Al-Mariam, which was engaged in illegal fishing.

“Three people were killed, while two sustained injuries. The deceased, injured and those who have been caught alive are in the custody of Iranian security forces,” he told The Express Tribune.

Baksh added that there were two trawlers. “One of them escaped when Iranian forces opened fire, while they captured the second one.”

The injured have been admitted to a hospital in Chabahar, Iran. Identities of the fishermen hailing from Sindh could not be determined.

A senior police official in Jewani said Iran had tightened security across the border with Pakistan during Muharram.

“The trawlers often enter Iranian territorial waters, but these days, Iranian officials are strictly dealing with those who enter Iran without valid travelling documents,” he said.

The police have tried, in vain, to establish contacts with Iranian officials for handing over the bodies and those injured.

Altair · Post by **Altair** » 08 Dec 2011 21:54

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vorWHmk38yE

BREAKING NEWS: DOWNED US DRONE Video footage of US spy drone downed by Iran

Rahul Shukla · Post by **Rahul Shukla** » 09 Dec 2011 01:09

Wiki-uvacha:

The "RQ" designation indicates that the RQ-170 Sentinel does not carry weapons. Aviation Week's David A. Fulghum believes that the UAV is probably a "tactical, operations-oriented platform and not a strategic intelligence-gathering design".

The design lacks several elements common to stealth engineering, namely notched landing gear doors and sharp leading edges. It has a curved wing planform, and the exhaust is not shielded by the wing.[10] Aviation Week postulates that these elements suggest the designers have avoided 'highly sensitive technologies' due to the near certainty of eventual operational loss inherent with a single engine design and a desire to avoid the risk of compromising leading edge technology.

Garooda · Post by **Garooda** » 09 Dec 2011 23:52

Supposedly if it was advanced drone with stealth then the pic/video is misleading on the iranian TV. Who the hell knows if it was a setup to be deliver
a Trojan Horse/Wild Goose Chase/Diversion (Syria just experienced a pipeline bomb explosion btw) ??? One may never know. With the conflicting stories from both sides, it is questionable until we see more credible news or reports. The whole thing looks and sounds too damn easy.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zR1L0qiDWiE/T ... 27413i.jpg

High Res Pics of the Iranian Version.
http://theaviationist.com/2011/12/08/stealth-pix/

And then we also have this from ABC.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/us-rq-170 ... uEs5fJS3YE

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 10 Dec 2011 07:29

Israeli Iran war?
http://www.truth-out.org/what-israels-w ... 1323374542

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 12 Dec 2011 23:23

Iran looks to its allies

As the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia turn up the heat up on Iran, the Islamic Republic will likely look to its powerful allies for support. While Russia could make a statement over the US's planned anti-missile shield in Eastern Europe by strengthening Iran's position vis-a-vis Afghanistan, Beijing could avenge imperial humiliations by supplying Tehran with "unstoppable" anti-ship missiles.
- Brian M Downing

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 15 Dec 2011 14:39

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... ities.html

Iran to transfer nuclear production across series of secret facilities
Iran is to transfer its nuclear production across a series of underground and bomb-proof secret facilities as it steps up efforts to thwart an apparent Western sabotage campaign.

Brig Gen Gholam Reza Jalali, the IRGC commander, said that efforts underway had already reduced to "minimal" the vulnerability of its nuclear programme. Reports in the state media quoting Brig Jalali said new locations would be established to house the nuclear programme.

"Our vulnerability in the nuclear field is minimal," Brig Jalali told Mehr newsagency. "If Americans and Israelis were able to attack and harm our nuclear facilities, they would have definitely done so by now

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 18 Dec 2011 02:38

Pakistani Political Leader Praises Iran for Downing US Drone

TEHRAN (FNA)- Former Leader of Pakistan's Jamat-e-Islami Party Qazi Hussain Ahmed described as a brave step by Iran to hunt a very advanced US spy drone.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad told the Islamic republic news agency that the US has no right to violate sovereignty of any country in the world. Iran has lodged a complaint with the United Nations against the US over operating stealth reconnaissance aircraft in Iranian airspace and will also report Washington's hostile action to the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, the Non-Aligned Movement and other international organizations with jurisdiction to examine violation of national sovereignty of nations. To a question that US is not member of any international convention Qazi Hussain Ahmad said that US arrogance is the basic reason for not signing any convention. "They consider themselves as the only power in the world," he opined. The politician was of the opinion that after the hunting of US drone by Iran, Pakistan has also said that it would shoot the drones that intrude its airspace. The former Chief of Jamat-e-Islami asked Iran not to return the drone to US and make a copy of the craft. The US unmanned aircraft weighs about 3,500 to 3,600 kilograms and its mission is reconnaissance. The US RQ-170 is a mysterious and baffling phantom which the Americans admitted its existence in 2010; an unmanned spacecraft, stealth aircraft fitted with reconnaissance equipment, long-range operation capabilities and highly sensitive cameras.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 22 Dec 2011 08:38

The worst case for war with Iran

State Department scrambling to move the MEK -- to a former U.S. military base?

anishns · Post by **anishns** » 24 Dec 2011 21:59

Judge: Iran, Taliban, al Qaeda liable for 9/11

LOL

WTF where did they find OBL?

The headline should have read Pak, ISI, Al-Qaeda

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 24 Dec 2011 23:00

GCC wants India to get involved in the Iranian nuclear file. A lot of chinwagging took place in security conferences and SSM visit. GCC sees India as a bigger power than Turkey and one that commands more respect in the region. If India plays ball, KSA will use the stick on TSP. And if India doesnt, PRC will be forced to be used and India's presence will be overshadowed by PRC.

They know India has good access to individuals and the type of discussions india is having with Afghanistan. They want India to mediate in this issue.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 25 Dec 2011 11:10

Indian PM Stresses Continued Cooperation with Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said bilateral cooperation between Iran and his country would continue despite problems in making payments for imported oil.

Singh made the remarks in a meeting with the Iranian Supreme Leader's top Advisor for International Affairs Akbar Ali Velayati in New Delhi on Friday.

At the meeting, the Indian premier said that efforts would be made to find a permanent solution in making monthly payments of about $1billion for oil imported from Iran, which the Prime Minister said was India's second major source of crude.

"The Prime Minister said some technical difficulties are there and we want to resolve this problem with understanding from both sides," Velayati told journalists.

The former Iranian Foreign Minister with long-standing contacts with the top Indian leadership said there was no problem between the two countries over the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline.

"The question is the problem of transit between India and Pakistan. There is no problem between India and Iran on this. Both countries want such a link up which is important to both sides. It is the nearest gas reserve for India and Iran cannot get a better customer like India," he observed.

Velayati asked for a regional solution to the Afghan problem, saying that Iran, India and Pakistan should make joint efforts to make Afghan reconciliation a reality.

"We have to look for solution within the region. Iran believes that people of the region are also eager to find a solution to the Afghan problem," Velayati said.

Velayati briefed reporters about the issue of India's payment to Iran for oil imports, prospects of Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, India's stand on Iran's nuclear program and situation in West Asia.

Asked about specific areas of cooperation on Afghanistan, Velayati said Iran, India, Pakistan and some Central Asian countries should help in arranging the reconciliation process among various Afghan groups.

"Neighboring countries of Afghanistan should help in bringing peace and development in the country. We believe that the people of Afghanistan should decide their future and Iran and India should help them in the process," he said.

However, he made it clear that it did not mean that "we want to interfere in the internal matters of Afghanistan".

About the decision of the international forces to withdraw from Afghanistan, Velayati said they had no other choice but to take such a step sooner or later.

"If the US forces continue to remain there, they would have faced the same situation that they did in Vietnam," he added.

Velayati thanked India's positive stances on Iran's nuclear issue at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Velayati said India's position at the UN on Iran's nuclear program was positive. "Of course, India has also said that Iran should abide by its obligations to international treaties. We also agree with it. We consider this as a positive position."

Velayati also lashed out at the IAEA for suspecting any country of nuclear wrongdoings merely on the basis of some vague claims made by the US, and warned that India could also fall victim to such a biased approach.

At the same time, he questioned IAEA's actions against Iran on the basis of complaints from one country - the US.

"Is it logical if one member like the US can claim that there are some reports with them and they have received some CDs in which they have accused Iran of doing something outside the NPT," he asked.

"The same may happen to any country like India. Will the Director General of the IAEA only follow the claims of the US," he asked.

Velayati said there was no problem between Iran and the IAEA because it was working within the framework of the NPT.

"There was no covert place where Iran indulges in some activity outside the continued supervision of the global nuclear watchdog - IAEA," he said

He arrived in the Indian capital of New Delhi on Monday to attend a conference on Nahj al-Balagha, the book which is the collections of sermons, letters and narrations, attributed to the first Shia Imam, Imam Ali.

His visit came at the invitation of Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University. .

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 25 Dec 2011 20:46

abhishek_sharma wrote:The worst case for war with Iran

Very very poor analysis. Reason being that moral arguments, showing US brazenly violates international law etc simply don't hold any water in US discourse. This guy will be dismissed as a "liberal". He is holding Iran and US at the same moral equivalence. He is being an apologists for US actions will be the thundering howls from Michele Bachman and Sarah Palin and other demagogues on Fox news. Once US (or shall we say Israel) decided to attack, what is up for debate is not the right and wrong, but rather, something akin to 1000 bombs, the republican view, and 995 bombs, the democrat view. Thats the level of debate that is allowed.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 26 Dec 2011 12:51

CRamS wrote:
abhishek_sharma wrote:The worst case for war with Iran

..........
Once US (or shall we say Israel) decided to attack, what is up for debate is not the right and wrong, but rather, something akin to 1000 bombs, the republican view, and 995 bombs, the democrat view. Thats the level of debate that is allowed.

Track record of US supports your point onlee.

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 27 Dec 2011 08:54

I think Iran regime's PressTV mouthpiece is getting desperate:

Qatar to overthrow Saudi regime: clip

The Saudi Arabian monarchy will be overthrown by Qatar very soon, a leaked confidential conversation by Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al Thani has revealed.

According to an audio file which has gone viral on the Internet, the premier said Qatari troops would occupy Qatif in Eastern Province and the Al Saud regime will disintegrate.

The remarks were made as people in Qatif have been staging protest rallies to demand freedom and equality over the past months.

The Qatari premier also revealed that the United States and Britain wanted him to report back to them on the situation in Saudi Arabia.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 27 Dec 2011 13:29

LOL! Psyops because there is internal problems within the Al Thani's. Crown Prince was given control of Defence. PM feels his power is waneing and slowly being thrown out. Then couple this with the fact that KSA has been trying to do a coup there to get rid of the Emir Sheikh Hamad.

Internal family politics between conservatives vs "liberals" too.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 28 Dec 2011 18:55

http://frontierindia.net/album/indian-n ... anker-vlcc

Above is a pic of our IN Seaking about to airlift an incapacitated Iranian seaman to a Naval Hospital in Mumbai. Question is, what are Iranian military personnel (the chaps in camo) doing on an oil tanker...

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 28 Dec 2011 23:45

^^^ What exactly is going on between Iran, Oman and India these days?

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 29 Dec 2011 01:57

Iranian Navy Choppers Exercise Mine-Clearing in Int'l Waters

Iran's naval forces exercised sea mine clearing on the fifth day of their massive military wargames underway in the international waters of the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean on Wednesday.

Iran's naval forces started massive wargames, dubbed as Velayat 90, in an area stretching from the East of the Strait of Hormoz in the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aden on Saturday. ...

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 01 Jan 2012 23:19

The situ is very serious in the Gulf.The US sanctions regime,Israeli chafing at the bit ready to KO Iranian nuclear and military facilities and the USN's task force's arrival have created a "tinderbox",in the words of a regional expert.The Iranians naval exercises have heightened tensions and if Iran is supported by the Chinese and Russians,then the US might back off.The Iranian situ is intimately linked to other events in the M.East/W.Asia.Iraq,Syria and the Arab revolutions and the masterplan of the US and the west to change the map and pieces on the chessboard ,have identified Iran as the key to placing the pieces of the puzzle together.As long as Iran stays intact-its regime in fact,it will be able to complicate the US's attempts to further destabilise Syria,get rid of Assad and thus prevent Iran from gaining full control over Iraq.

In this "Gulf Game",the Saudis,UAE and a bold new player,Qatar,are ranging themselves against the Iranians behind the US/west's forces.The aim of the US is to defeat and disgrace the current leadership by delivering killer blows to its nuclear ambitions and infrastructure,so that Iran is returned/bombed into the stone age,just as Iraq was,to let its people suffer enormously resulting in the overthrow of the ayatollahs and Ahmed-in-a-jacket.The US has counted the economic cost of the venture,and feels that while there will be temporary chaos in oil prices and supplies,once the Iranian beast is tamed,prices will fall to very affordable levels.In any case,Saudi oil does not have to be routed through the Gulf and it may make up for any shortcomings in supply from its other Gulf allies.US and Canadian shale oil is making N.Am less dependent upon ME oil,hence the aggro from the US side.For countries like India who depend upon Gulf and Iranian supplies,gas from Qatar,etc.,we will be up the creek,in a leaky boat ,without a paddle and heading straight towards the falls! past time to ensure supplies from other nations at affordable prices right now before the baloon goes up.Are our oil companies and GOI aware of the situ and taking remedial measures?

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 02 Jan 2012 02:45

Philip:

I agree with you. Something has got to give in this war of attrition between US/Israel, and Iran. US will accept nothing short of their puppets, the loyal TFTA opposition in Iran coming to power and overthrowing the nationalists. The Iranian nationalists have very little room to maneuver. They are toast IMO. This will come out either through an internal coup of sorts in Iran, or through some kind of a military show down. Interesting 2012 ahead on this front.

Samudragupta · Post by **Samudragupta** » 02 Jan 2012 09:30

The Arabs are feeling the fire in their back....i am really enjoying this show...Go Go Iran....West is definitely not interested in dousing this fire......fundamentally the conflict is not between the West and Iran and this fact is known by both the sides...just go to the US embassy in Dubai and see the number of Iranians in the Q for the Visa...u will understand where the issue lies....Turkey is out to save its own back and Egypt will be the net looser....

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 02 Jan 2012 11:34

Leftist type in India always hype Indian Miltary purchases while subduing Chinese and Gulf Arab purchase. Seems to me Arms companies in the West and China, Russia are laughing their way to the Banks by unreported Billions being spent by GCC, Iran and Iraq.

Iran claims nuclear fuel advance, test-fires missile in Gulf

Saudi Defense bolstered with $ 29.4bn arms deal with America.

If you see GCC and Iraqi purchases from UK and USA and unreported Iranian purchases under sanctions from China and Russia. Indian purchases in $$$ terms would really puny.

Heck even the fact Pakis have taken $ 10 Billion loan from CATIC for 150 JF-17's and $ 7-8 Billion for F-16's more than INDIA's MMRCA is not reported.

member_21708 · Post by **member_21708** » 02 Jan 2012 12:55

for many years now american oil barons and iranian fundos are regularly playing this war of words to derive monetary and political benefits by driving up oil price

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 02 Jan 2012 13:34

x post

Obama signs new Iran sanctions into law

By Stephen Collinson (AFP) – 18 hours ago

HONOLULU, Hawaii — US President Barack Obama Saturday signed into law tough new sanctions targeting Iran's central bank and financial sector, in a move that could intensify a brewing Gulf showdown.

The measures, meant to punish Iran for its nuclear program, were contained in a mammoth $662 billion defense bill, which Obama signed despite having reservations that it ties his hands on setting foreign policy.

The sanctions are meant to hit Iran's crucial oil sector and require foreign firms to make a choice between doing business with Tehran's financial sector and central bank or the mighty US economy and financial sector.

Foreign central banks which deal with the Iranian central bank on oil transactions could also face restrictions, sparking fears of damage to US ties with key nations such as Russia and China which trade with Iran.

Obama signed the bill in Hawaii where he is on vacation, at a time of rising tension with Tehran, which has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz -- through which more than a third of the world's tanker-borne oil passes.

The United States has warned it will "not tolerate" such an interruption.

In comments reported Saturday, Tehran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili warned that Iran would "give a resounding and many-pronged response to any threat" made against it.

But Jalili also said Iran was ready to rejoin EU-led talks with major powers on assuaging Western concerns over its nuclear program.

The White House held intense negotiations with Congress on the terms of the law's implementation, given concern that sanctions on Iran's central bank could spark chaos in the global financial system and hike the price of oil.

Obama said in a statement issued as he signed the bill that he was concerned the measure would interfere with his constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations by tying his hands in dealings with foreign governments.

The bill, which passed with wide majorities in Congress, did reserve some wiggle room for Obama, granting him the power to grant 120-day waivers if he judges it to be in the national security interests of the United States.

Earlier this month, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner wrote to Congress to express concern against an earlier, tougher sanctions measure along the same lines saying it could harm the US push with its partners to isolate Iran.

Geithner argued that foreign allies could resent the new US measures and make it less likely they would cooperate and the sanctions would have the "opposite effect" of their intended purpose of isolating Iran.

Senior US officials said Saturday that they would try to implement the new sanctions guidelines in a way that protected the global economy and US foreign policy priorities, in a way which would still inflict pain on Iran.

There are fears that increased sanctions on Iran's central bank could force the global price of oil to suddenly soar, and actually give Tehran a financial windfall on its existing oil sales.

Rising oil prices could also crimp the fragile economic recovery in the United States and inflict pain on American voters in gas stations -- at a time when Obama is running for reelection next year.

The Obama administration argues that it has imposed the toughest-ever sanctions on Iran by the United States and its allies and says the measures are now having a punishing impact on the Iranian economy and petroleum sector.

The West alleges Tehran is seeking to acquire a weapons capability under the guise of its nuclear research program. Iran denies any such ambition and says its work is only for civil energy and medical purposes.

In recent weeks, Iranian officials have insisted the country was ready to face new sanctions against the oil sector and central bank.

The Wall Street Journal reported this month that US and European officials were seeking assurances from major oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, that they would increase exports to the West and Asian nations if tighter sanctions on Tehran's energy exports are enforced.

The gloves are off, this is happenening sooner than expected. Looks like India may make the last ditch efforts to save Tehran.

Iran knows the noose is now being tightened and the next step is war:

Iran proposes new round of nuclear talks with 6 world powers as sanctions hit hard

SMK

Q&A: S M Krishna, External Affairs Minister

'Iran's relations with other nations don't govern our ties'
Aditi Phadnis / New Delhi January 1, 2012, 0:09 IST

S M KrishnaExternal Affairs Minister S M Krishna surveys India’s external relations with other partners in an interview with Aditi Phadnis.

A confrontation between Iran and the US is brewing over the Straits of Hormuz through which India gets 50 per cent of its oil. If the supply of oil is disrupted, India could face a serious problem. Are you taking any diplomatic initiatives to prevent such a confrontation?
It is true that we import a large amount of oil and when we import oil, some of these factors will have to be taken into consideration. Necessary overtures are being made with Iran: as we have a long history of bilateral relations with that country which have been quite good and there has been no tension or concerns.

Forty per cent of our oil requirements is met by Iran. This is all the more reason why we would like to keep relations with that country warm and work towards strengthening relations in future.

But our relations with Iran are not dependent on Iran’s relations with a third country. They are independent of other countries’ relations with Iran, whether strained or otherwise. I’m confident that Iran recognises this as well.

So does that mean that the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline to which the US had objected, will now be put back on the active list of economic and diplomatic initiatives taken by India?
There are various other circumstances around the IPI pipeline, but we are proceeding on the basis that things are positive-looking. Concerns there are more economic than political. Hence, it is necessary for all countries engaged in the pipeline project to keep this in mind. Countries will have to care about each other, help each other. There is the question of assured imports which cannot be left to the vagaries of price fluctuations.

We are unable to pay Iran for the oil India buys from it because of problems in banking channels…
We are working out a mechanism through which the oil bill could be paid.

[/quote]

A lot has been said about closure of the straits of Hormuz. India has an agreement with Oman to prevent closure. The GCC assessment is that IN alone has the capability to prevent closure by Iranian navy.

Iran is just posturing. Question is now that US is sanctionining Iranian oil. Does the US have the capability to prevent Iran from exporting oil?

So the next phase ofconvincing India China and Russia to stop buying iranian crude oil has begun. Hence the increased number of articles and talks with Indian strategists.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 02 Jan 2012 13:41

Iran is just posturing. Question is now that US is sanctionining Iranian oil. Does the US have the capability to prevent Iran from exporting oil?

There will be no punitive action against Iran directly.

But the trading partners will make a choice and stop trading with Iran which will damage the economy and create a unstable political situation leading to a spring revolution and Iran becoming more open.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 02 Jan 2012 13:43

This is supposed to create a ripple effect.

Economy > unstbaility > spring revolution > change in regime.

Iran will change in 3 years. Liberal Irani s are looking forward to it