Iran has warned Washington that it could retaliate after any unilateral attack it sustains and destroy US military bases across the Middle East and target Israel within minutes following an uptick in threatening postures from the US and Israel.
“These bases are all in range of our missiles, and the occupied lands (Israel) are also good targets for us,” said Amir Ali Haji Zadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace division.
Haji Zadeh said 35 US bases were within reach of Iran’s ballistic missiles, some of which can reach targets 1,300 miles away. “We have thought of measures to set up bases and deploy missiles to destroy all these bases in the early minutes after an attack,” he added.
Iran’s bluster, such as it is, is in response to a recent increase in rhetoric and military postures from the US and Israel, following a partial breakdown of nuclear talks last month.
The United States has moved significant military reinforcements into the Persian Gulf in order to intimidate Iran and increase the number of fighter jets capable of striking the Islamic Republic. And Israeli leaders have restarted their bombast about Iran’s supposedly contested nuclear program, which US intelligence asserts has yet to have any weaponization aspect to it.
A US-led sanctions regime is due to get considerably more restrictive this month, approaching a virtual embargo on Iranian oil which is sure to devastate their economy even further. Incidentally, the sanctions are so hurting the population that recent polling found 60 percent of Iranians would give up their peaceful nuclear program in exchange for an easing of the economic warfare.
Iran’s warnings about retaliation to any US-Israeli strike ought to be taken seriously. A Pentagon war simulation, details of which were reported in March, forecasted that a “strike would lead to a wider regional war, which could draw in the United States” and would immediately get at least 200 Americans killed in Iran’s retaliation.
Not only would a unilateral strike provoke a dangerous and escalatory Iranian response, but many experts agree that a preemptive attack would drive the Iranian nuclear program underground and make weaponization inevitable.
As Thomas Pickering, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and former U.S. Ambassador to the UN under George H.W. Bush, told Congress in March, “[A military strike] has a very high propensity, in my view, of driving Iran in the direction of openly declaring and deciding, which it has not yet done according to our intelligence, to make a nuclear weapon to seemingly defend itself under what might look to them and others to be an unprovoked attack.”
Meir Dagan, former head of Israel’s secret service has explained several times as well, “If Israel will attack, there is no doubt in my mind that this will also provide them with the justification to go ahead and move quickly to nuclear weapons.”
Interesting that the polls have turned in Iran. But I fear the Iranians would discover, if they tried, that for them, surrender is not an option! If they offered to give up their nuclear program, they would be asked to give up their ballistic missiles. If they did that, all their radar, armored vehicles, missiles of any kind, navy, air force, military bases. And it would still not be enough. Iranians could watch as the goalposts recede into the distance. Perhaps an Israeli-appointed Viceroy would do the job. Short of that, the sanctions are permanent.
Have to agree with you Duglarri. This has nothing to do with Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, because the 'western' position on that is so hypocritical. It's all about Iran surrendering it's sovereignty and becoming a 'western' satellite, with the 'west' acquiring all those lucrative weapons contracts, and eliminating the strongest supporter the Palestinians have.
We can understand what's in it all for the neocons and Israelis, but European support, led by the colonial powers like France and Britain, and the German obsequiiousness towards Israel (trying to undo history), is sickening.
Hopefully Iran will survive as an independent country.
duglarri
“the sanctions are permanent”
That may have been true ten years ago, but since then the Western powers have killed the goose that laid their golden egg. For the thought of our 5,000 A-bombs, the sight of our 5,000 sailors onboard one of our giant aircraft carriers and the sound of a sonic boom from one of our supersonic war planes, this use to terrorize the Middle-East into full and perfect submission.
But the glory years of our Empire have come and gone, for our overkill in the dictator occupation of Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, this gave birth to the Arab Spring, caused the fear of death to give way and a unified majority of Muslims and Arabs to call out, “Give us democracy or give us death.”
For whatever reason, Vladimir Putin refuses to sell the S-300 missile system to Iran, but even that is no guarantee to prevent USIsrael from attacking. Still, surrender is not an option. Hail the brave Islamic Republic!
That is a big mistake. Iran’s retaliatory action should not target Israel or the US bases first. Instead they should assume that the attack originated from Saudi Arabia.
Thereupon, Iran should then completely destroy all Saudi oil production facilities forthwith. If other Persian Gulf Arab states come to help Saudis, destroy their oil production facilities as well. This should be a good lesson to a lot of countries, both European and Arabs that have been scheming against Iran. Thus, Europe’s economies, whatever has survived the bubble, will be totally destroyed as there will be no oil/gas available for a coon’s age.
Chances are that the US too will get a bloody nose and a broken arm. At least all the Arabs will wake up from their dream to a nightmare and see that the US could not protect them. I think that would be the biggest bang by the mullahs before being “regime changed”.
Go ahead mullahs, just do it because you have nothing to lose since they have publicly declared that they intend to change you.
Situation is truly very, very dangerous inded….Insanity of US warmongers, total fanatism and blackmail of Israels establisment prepared extremely situation for whole ME.
Iran must retaliate with full force in case of attack and this is exactly what US/Israel wants. We know they dont really care for massive dead on their side, in fact they need it ….to justife massive attack on Iran even with same of their / usable!?!?/ WMD to shorten the conflict and achiving quick victory with primary goal to secure importent part of Iran oilfields.
If Iran does not response massively, then they risk "slow dead by sanction and even possibility of same type uncontroled unrest inside Iran". So fare Unity of Irans population is the real fear for duo – US/Israel and time is running out for them and their operations are very costly….
With "propaganda media " almost universaly on their side, aggresors have 95 % chance they will succesfully portrate Iran as aggresor for their brainwashed public with their prepared false flags events….
Untill the visible and massive presents of China and Russia military force in or near Irans territory, this arrogant colonist game may bring total destruction of Iran, HUNDERTS!!! of millions Iranians dead and total chaos with brutality we can wittness from IDF inside Palestine. Iranian leaders should back a little from their "pride", really they should!!!, because whole of Iran could became wasteland.
Then again what goes behind closed doors, why isnt Russia and China more active and open? Is behind me.
Loss of Iran will be start of China dependace on US corporations or Russia oil and their blackmail.
If Iran is not openly "under wings" of China and Russia, if those tho superpowers fail to openly state to whole world their immediate commitment to help and protect Iran", Libya was nothing what would happened to Iranian people. Id..ts and colaborators in Jordan, S.Arabia and other muslim states will mark "start of the end for themself" short after destruction of Iran.
One does not know, what really goes on behind doors, yet I feel Iran has to somehow submit or give its "Nuclear program" under dirrect control of Russia and China. Iran is no match for sustained campain of attacks by US, Israel and /now on board/ NATO. Only towsends!!!! of unmanned drones can expose and exhaust Iranian defence forces before truly barbaric, uncontroled bombardment even starts…And defence of Israel really exists from Iranian borders to Israel, so many missiles will be shot before they even reach Israels borders. And if 2,3 found their targets – God help us all what Zionist fanatics do!!
Its my fealing Iran has to start act "FOR ITS SURVIVAL" and by any means bring Russia and China presents on their "soil". Staborn / even if justified/ stand of Iran proved exactly what US/Israel wanted…Iran has to make a kind of unpopular busines propositions and deals to China and Russia they cant refuse. If Iran is secured enough, US/Israel will turn desperately elswhere in ME or they will go broke, pack up and leave….WW3 can be avoided, but Iran has to cut on its "pride", avoiding destructive conflict will be truth victory for Iran….Peter czech
Iran should cave in and end it's nuclear program entirely in order to avoid death and destruction and a costly war. In time the aparthied state of Israel will fade away. It can not survive in today's world.
To learn what is bad — This is the best possible good
When in the history of wars has corruption ever gone from bad to good? Never, for each form of corruption must reach its ultimate conclusion, then it disappears and a new form of crime takes its place.
So cheer up, for the purpose of this world is to prove the harm in it and when misery can’t possible get any worse, then all things will turn toward the good.
Iran knows that Russia can act covertly to help defend them.
Even if, (and that's a big "if") Russia does not overtly defend Iran,
they can stymie "Israeli" weapons from Azerbaijan to Palestine
with scalar beams, waves, and magnetic fields which can make
all electronics inoperable, or fire invisible energy beams.
This is the new reality.
Yes, but secret and destructive weapons are probably also in US/ Israel hands. And exactly that "IF" ? or "WILL THEY"? what is BIG UNKNOWN!!!
No Russia or China reveals its cards and informations to be found on internet are mostly speculations / like my/…even if presented by highly respected reaserchers, but what may folow in weeks and months – nobody really knows. But I dont believe, that this "chessgame" of transfering towsends soldiers, killing machinery, presence of aircraft carrier groups – all this must be so costly!!! and only to scare? No,I enclose one of my comments from 3 days ago.
Extremely dangerous scenario with unknown concequencies… let us not to underestimate "masters in deception", masters and inventers of modern day terrorism /without borders/….US and Israel can easily wage "false flags" of any kind, Russia and China remains only obstacle. I believe, that real message Putin delivered to Bibi in person was: "Dont touch!!! Syria and Iran or else….".
We may be suprised, but conflict could start almost anywhere in ME, while major false flag somewhere in Europe….
Already in 2006 I predicted that Israel will be working hard to get NATO involved into its colonist wars of aggression / Libya was good start and warm up/ and I am afraid, that just to seal commitment of NATO, "false flag" of terrible proportions may happened somewhere in Europe. Internacional Banksters need some major war anyway, so here we go again. Hitlary Clinton with "media prostitutes behind" acts like Goebles for "uninterested part of mankind". And 2012 did not end yet, fragile peace between World powers can be broken within minutes!!
Suprised, brainwashed "people" will to late found out, who was the real sponsor of "Internacional terrorism"…. Twisted religious texts in hands of atheists destroyed religion which was like corner stone for other major religions today and produced "sadistic, messianic, fanatical followers and preachers" and blind people not able or not interested verify basic facts follow the "New Fuhreres of Internacional Zionism" just like Germans during WW2……sad and tragic peter czech
With the price of regular gasoline now less than $3.00/gallon (in most of the country) it becomes obvious why more unrest in needed in the Middle East.
no, carroll. it's not about money. they already have all the money.
it's about controlling the planet forever.
The Israelies should be carefull if they Bomb any Plant containing actual Nuclear Materials they might find that Russia will in fact abide by the NPT and IAEA treaties and PROTECT Iran, If the Israelies attack the Iranian Nuclear Power reactor and kill Russians they might actually find themselves being attacked by Russia itself, remembering that the Russians changed their laws to allow the President to react immediately when another country kills its citizens.
Russia may actually enter Iran on the Premis that it is in fact abiding by the NPT and IAEA treaties and gain the one thing that have coveted for decades, an Indian Ocean Military base, that will change the Whole balance of power in the region, and not for the United States benefit!
Let's teach the phony Zionist state of Israel a lesson once and for all.
ML3, teach how?