Commentary and analyses on terrorism, intelligence, security, and military and political affairs in the Middle East.
Iran cuts down to six weeks timeline for weapons-grade uranium
Tehran this week hardened its nuclear and military policies regardless of forthcominginternational nuclear talks. The threat by Iran’s armed forces deputy chief Gen. Mohammad Hejazi of a preemptive strike against its “enemies,” was accompanied by its refusal to allow UN nuclear watchdog inspectors to visit the Parchin facility, following which the IAEA chief cut their mission short. The transfer of 20 percent uranium enrichment to Fordo is estimated to have shortened Iran’s race for weapons grade material to six weeks.
Tehran steps into US-Israel Iran row with threat of pre-emptive strike
Deputy Chief of Iran’s Armed Forces Gen. Mohammad Hejazi said Tuesday, Feb. 21: “Our strategy now is that if… our enemies want to endanger Iran’s national interests… we will act without waiting for their actions.” debkafile’s sources report that an Iranian preemptive attack on Israel, in the air for some weeks, became realisticwhen Tehran seized on the dragging US-Israeli argument over a military strike and the two government’s indecisiveness as a golden opportunity to further its interests ahead of talks with world powers.
Climax in US-Israel altercation over Iran military strike
In its coming issue out Friday, DEBKA-Net-Weekly’s exclusive sources detail the exact points reached in the debate between the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government over an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Washington is seen working Israel’s domestic scene to build up an anti-attack opposition, as a gleeful Iran keeps track of the new climax in the US-Israeli spat. Anddiscover the new turnabout in Moscow’s policies toward Washington, Tehran and Damascus before it surfaces in this eye-opening issue.
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Obama to try and talk Netanyahu out of Iran strike after his advisers failed
After a high-ranking US delegation headed by White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon failed in three days of tough talks (Feb.18-20) to dissuade Israeli leaders to back off plans for a military strike against Iran’s nuclear sites, the White House invited Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for talks with President Barak Obama on March 5. He will try and break the stalemate which ended his advisers’ talks with Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz.
Iran names Istanbul for nuclear talks, joins Russia to buttress Assad
Iran continues to behave as though it is calling the shots. The first formal announcement of the resumption of Iran-world powers nuclear talks (confirming debkafile’s exclusive) came from its Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Selahi who Sunday, Feb. 19, named the venue as Istanbul, Turkey. Saturday, two Iranian warships got away with delivering arms for Bashar Assad’s crackdownwithout US or Israeli interference. They docked at Tartus port Saturday alongside a Russian naval flotilla, symbolizing their joint effort to preserve Assad.
US-Israel crisis: Approaching nuclear talks with Iran disable sanctions, spark anti-Israel terror
US President Barack Obama is convinced that the resumed international nuclear negotiations he has worked hard to set up will not only avert war but lay to rest once and for all the problem of Iran’s nuclear bomb program. But the imminence of Iranian talks with world powers has already had the negative effects of sparking a wave of Iranian terror against Israeli overseas targets and seriously devaluing sanctions, debkafile reports. Anyway,Tehran has no intention of yielding on its drive for nuclear arms.
Crisis in US-Israel relations over nuclear talks with Iran
Wednesday, Netanyahu blasted Iran – and indirectly Washington– when he said in Cyprus that sanctions “haven’t worked” and that a regime which attacks diplomats to have nuclear weapons “is something of enormous concern for the United States and for Israel.”In the last 24 hours, the approach of international talks with Iran on its nuclear program has escalated high tensions between the Obama administration and the Israeli government.
US President Barack Obama decided to send his US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon on an urgent visit to Israel Saturday for three days of talks “on regional issues including Syria and Iran.”
This unusually long trip over the weekend by a top White House official is a measure of the crisis in relations.
US and Iran Set to Resume Nuclear Talks
The White House expects talks to start in days and lead to the halting of Iran’s nuclear program development and nuclear enrichment and the dismantling of its nuclear weapons facilities and labs. Israel’s Binyamin Netanyahu is less sanguine, says sanctions or not working and slams Iran as “the most irresponsible power on earth today.”
Tehran Flexes Muscle, Shrugs off Sanctions
Tehran was always willing to talk, less to listen. This time, Iran is preparing to enter into negotiations from a position of strength after demonstrating that US and European sanctions have not had the effect of blocking the bulk of its oil exports.
Why the British and Israeli To-do about Iranian Terrorism?
Israel and Britain are not on the same page, but both are smearing Iran for their own reasons: Netanyahu is concerned that sanctions against Iran will boost its urge to attack Israeli targets abroad, while the British fear the London Olympics of July 2012 will be targeted for joint Iranian-al Qaeda attacks.
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