Ahmadinejad warns against aggression on Iran

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's armed forces will make its enemies regret any act of aggression against the Islamic Republic, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned on Tuesday as Iranians marked National Army Day with a military parade near the capital Tehran.
Although Ahmadinejad did not specify any countries, such language used by Iranian officials is a common reference to the West, especially the United States and Israel.
The harsh tone was typical of speeches for military events but it contrasted sharply with a sense of cautious progress after the direct talks with world powers last week on Tehran's nuclear ambitions. The remarks could leave Western officials confused by the mixed signals.
"Our armed forces will make the enemy face a heavy and shameful regret if they commit any aggression and violate Iran's interests," Ahmadinejad said in a speech broadcast live on state TV.
Both the U.S. and Israel have not ruled out a military option against Iran's nuclear facilities, which the West suspects are geared toward making nuclear arms — a charge Tehran denies, insisting its program is for peaceful purposes only. Iran's refusal to halt the uranium enrichment program has been its main point of contention with the West.
"The foreign interference will bear nothing but destruction, rifts and insecurity" in the region, Ahmadinejad said.
The comments are typical of rhetoric that has been coming out of Tehran, belligerent one day, conciliatory the next. More

VIDEO ~ Obama sends holiday greetings to the Iranian people. Seeks a future of deeper connections between our peoples !!!

“I want the Iranian people to know that America seeks a dialogue to hear your views and understand your aspirations”


President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama send greetings to the Iranian people celebrating Nowruz. In his video message, the President tells the Iranian people that the United States stands with them in the pursuit of their universal rights and seeks a future of deeper connections between our peoples.

Netanyahu: Heed the 'jarring gong of danger' from Iran

Israeli prime minister warns that Iran's nuclear weapons threat must be taken seriously by the world before it's too late

It's A Simple Answer After All !!!

Iran boasting its missiles can reach US, Israeli targets

Signs build that Iran sanctions disrupt food imports

 

(Reuters)

More evidence emerged of the crippling impact of new sanctions on Iran, with international traders saying Tehran is having trouble buying rice, cooking oil and other staples to feed its 74 million people weeks before an election.

New U.S. financial sanctions imposed since the beginning of this year to punish Tehran over its nuclear program are playing havoc with Iran's ability to buy imports and receive payment for its oil exports, commodities traders said.

Iran denies that sanctions are causing serious harm to its economy, but Reuters investigations in recent days with commodities traders around the globe show serious disruptions to its imports. That is having a real impact on the streets of Iran, where prices for basic foodstuffs are soaring.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the latest leader of a major Asian oil importing country to visit the Middle East seeking alternative sources of oil as sanctions make it more difficult to import from Iran.

Danish shipping and oil company A.P. Moller-Maersk on Wednesday said it had suspended the transport of new Iranian oil-related cargoes and oil tanker deals due to European Union sanctions. More

Krauthammer: Leak indicates Israeli attack on Iran ‘certain’

Last week in his Washington Post column, David Ignatius wrote that Israel was preparing to attack Iran to prevent it from being able to build a nuclear bomb.





According to his Post opinion page colleague Charles Krauthammer, based on the source behind Ignatius’ claim it is likely an attack will occur.


On this weekend’s broadcast of “Inside Washington,” Krauthammer explained his thought process.


“I think it’s fairly certain the Israelis are going to attack or you would not have had this leak, deliberately coming this week from secretary of Defense through David Ignatius of The [Washington] Post saying that he thinks there is a high likelihood Israel is going to attack, and then he went ahead and specified when. He said three months, April, May or June. And you don’t say that unless there is obviously indications from the Israelis that they are going to do this even if they get and they are getting a signal from the United States not to do it.”


Krauthammer doubted Israel was factoring what impact a strike against Iran might have on upcoming U.S. presidential election.


“No, I think the calculation is what Ignatius reported as Panetta said: The Israelis think that the problem is that Iran is about to enter the zone of immunity. And that means the trigger is not the assumption that Iran now has the know-how to make a bomb. That is later down the road. What comes earlier is when Iran has put enough uranium in completely untouchable, protected sites, like the mountain outside of Qom where you cannot touch it, meaning that at that point, Iran has the wherewithal, the facilities, the material that it can build a bomb unmolested, and then it can never be attacked again. If Israel thinks it is approaching the point of immunity, it will attack.”


Krauthammer reminded viewers that the real threat of escalation would be if the rogue state attempted to block the Strait of Hormuz.


Read more: