The Iranians today ramped up the rhetoric even a bit further when they sent a not-so-subtle message to all countries in the Middle East...that any country where an attack on Iran is staged would be hit by the Iranians. I would say this "warning" was directed mostly at Saudi Arabia but probably is also intended for the likes of Yemen, Qatar and the UAE.
From the report at The Telegraph:
Iran will target any country where an attack against it is staged, a senior Revolutionary Guard commander warned on Sunday, the latest threat amid growing tensions over its nuclear programme and Western sanctions.
Gen Hossein Salami, deputy commander of the elite Revolutionary Guard, Iran’s most powerful military force appeared to be warning to Iran’s neighbours not to let their territory or airspace be used as a base for an attack.
“Any place where enemy offensive operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran originate will be the target of a reciprocal attack by the Guard’s fighting units,” Gen Salami said according to the semiofficial Fars news agency.
The Revolutionary Guard started manoeuvres in the country’s south on Saturday, following naval exercises near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil export route, additional muscle flexing by Iran to ward off the prospect of a military strike against its nuclear facilities. Iran has threatened to close off the strait if Western sanctions limit Iranian oil exports.
In all my years, I'm not sure I have seen this much tension in the Middle East - you can cut it with a butter knife. I know a lot of people are making predictions and since I don't have much luck doing that I won't venture down that path, right now...but I will say that my inclination is to believe that the Iranians want to avoid a direct attack on their country and might just want to instigate the powderkeg to blow up somewhere else first. So, I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see Hezbollah stage an attack on the Israelis just to see the Israeli response and also to perhaps delay any airstrike on Iran by the Israelis.
At the same time, I think the Iranians are starting to feel less confident in the inaction of Obama - they have seen that Obama's popularity in the U.S. has climbed only after he approves of some sort of military action and with the elections just 9 months away, they might believe Obama is willing to start a brawl to help his numbers.
Iran vows to hit any country that stages attack
Iran will target any country where an attack against it is staged, a senior Revolutionary Guard commander warned on Sunday, the latest threat amid growing tensions over its nuclear programme and Western sanctions.
Gen Hossein Salami, deputy commander of the elite Revolutionary Guard, Iran’s most powerful military force appeared to be warning to Iran’s neighbours not to let their territory or airspace be used as a base for an attack.
“Any place where enemy offensive operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran originate will be the target of a reciprocal attack by the Guard’s fighting units,” Gen Salami said according to the semiofficial Fars news agency.
The Revolutionary Guard started manoeuvres in the country’s south on Saturday, following naval exercises near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil export route, additional muscle flexing by Iran to ward off the prospect of a military strike against its nuclear facilities. Iran has threatened to close off the strait if Western sanctions limit Iranian oil exports.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Sunday that economic and military might are the country’s only guarantee for peace and security following the latest developments in Iran and Syria.
“In the past few days we received a reminder of what kind of neighbourhood we live in,” Mr Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting.
“In such a region the only thing ensuring (our) existence, security and prosperity is strength.
“We shall continue to build the military, economic and social strength of Israel; that is the only guarantee for peace and also Israel’s only defence if peace collapses.”
The US and its Western allies charge that Iran is producing atomic weapons. Iran says its programme is meant to produce fuel for future nuclear power reactors and medical radioisotopes needed for cancer patients.
1 comment:
So entertaining! Arabs talking tough. What a joke. The reference by the bought and paid for media to the "elite" troops-whether Iraqi from back in 1990, or Iran today, is equivalent to saying a little girl could stand against an NFL football team! Ha! What the world fails to realize is that Arabs are frightened little pansies that only talk tough.
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