Iran Holds Air Defense Drills As IAEA Says Iran Blocks Access To Key Nuclear Site
As if the market needed another bizarro catalyst to ramp even higher courtesy of an even more pronounced drop in corporate earnings courtesy of soaring energy costs, that is just what it is about to get following news of further deterioration in the Nash equilibrium in Iran, where on one hand we learn that IAEA just pronounced Iran nuclear talks a failure (this is bad), and on the other Press TV reports that the Iran army just started a 4 day air defense exercise in a 190,000 square kilometer area in southern Iran (this is just as bad). The escalation "ball" is now in the Western court. And if Iraq is any indication, after IAEA talks "failure" (no matter how grossly manipulated by the media), the aftermath is usually always one and the same...
From The Guardian:
The UN nuclear agency has declared its latest inspection visit to Iran a failure, with the regime blocking access to a key site suspected of hosting covert nuclear weapon research and no agreement reached on how to resolve other unanswered questions.
The statement from the International Atomic Energy Agency was issued shortly after an Iranian general warned of a pre-emptive strike against any nation that threatens Iran.
"We engaged in a constructive spirit but no agreement was reached," the statement quoted IAEA chief Yukiya Amano as saying.
The communique said that Iran did not grant requests by the IAEA mission to visit Parchin, a military site thought to be used for explosives testing related to triggering a nuclear weapon. Amano called this decision "disappointing". No agreement was reached on how to begin "clarification of unresolved issues in connection with Iran's nuclear programme, particularly those relating to possible military dimensions", the statement said.
Apparently it is Iran's fault for seeing right through the IAEA's track record of being nothing but the catalyst for all out aggression. Here is a reminder why, courtesy of Hans Blix. And with that out of the way, we continue:
The fact that the statement was issued early Wednesday, shortly after midnight and just after the IAEA experts left Tehran, reflected the urgency the agency attached to announcing the failed outcome. The language of the statement clearly if indirectly blamed Tehran for the lack of progress.
We can already see the statements from Clinton, who will do anything to make her transition to head of the World Bank as seamless and as "deserved" as pobssible.
In the meantime, Iran is not playing possum:
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base started the four-day exercises codenamed Tharallah on Monday within an area of 190,000 square kilometers in southern Iran, with the key objective of boosting the country’s air defense near the Persian Gulf and the nation’s Bushehr nuclear power plant.
During the military drills slated in four tactical phases, the Iranian army will test and assess the operation of its surface-to-air and radar equipment, and will collect new data on the procedures.
State-of -the-art radar, artillery and missile systems as well as interceptor fighter aircraft of the Air Force will be used in the military drills.
In the first phase of the drills, the fighter aircraft of the hypothetical enemy launched attacks against local air defense forces as part of an electronic warfare exercise.
Using passive and active sensors and multilevel data collection and communications systems, the air defense forces managed to thwart the mock enemy’s measures promptly and effectively, and safeguard the country’s radar network.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces wrapped up another drill codenamed Val Fajr in the central province of Yazd on Monday, to further enhance the combat preparedness of Iranian armed forces.
Why is Iran doing this now?
Iran maintains that the military drills are defensive in nature and meant to convey a message of peace and friendship to regional countries.
Tehran has also sent a public invitation to regional states to conduct joint naval drills with Iranian forces.
Like Israel?
Rhetorical questions aside, we hope our readers stocked up on gasoline. Because things are about to get uglier. And by that we mean more expensive. But courtesy of hedonic adjustments, more expensive means cheaper, at least to the US government.
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No wonder. Each time crude price tilts slightly lower, Iran does something. They must be in dire need of food.
http://www.piie.com/blogs/?p=2698
Here is proof.
Thx for commenting to everybody. Have a good night.
Remember, eventually everything is a bet.
Israel has 300+ nukes and refuses to let the IAEA in to inspect their nuclear facilities.
I would say the Iranian inspection is incomplete, not a failure.
I would say 6 million psychotic Israelis with 300+ nukes is a bit overkill.
Ex-Pres. Jimmy Carter Confirms Israel's Nuclear Weapons!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2mvGswp1UA
Jimmy Carter : Israel Has 150 Nukes Or More
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S98zH8hZHjg&feature=related
Couldn't we just be happy with all the finest modern electronic TV monitors, cool computer stuff, and fun gadgets we invented and call it a happy day?
ekm,
Love is not a bet....
oh, and this is bad.
I wonder if any of those missles have been photoshopped like last time. No matter, I'm sure the Japanese will see a spike in Prius sales real quick like.
Perhaps Israel will just lob in a low yield EMP bomb with a loaned F-117 over their reactor and just fry all the electronics within 5km of the site. Those weapons have been in development for quite awhile already.
The State Department just committed about $5 billion to it's Iraq subsidiary.
But that bit of this weeks news probably flew under your radar.
Yeah, but 5 billion is equal to just a single day of US debt accumulation, so the media treats it like a Frank Drebbin moment: "All right..move on..nothing to see here...please disperse...nothing to see here!"
You seem to be confused between those struggling for life and those struggling for death. There's a difference IMHO. Nevertheless, this world won't know peace until we're all on the right side of that struggle.
What I find noteworthy about this news development is that it comes just as the DJIA has reached the 13000 mark. I've long been pointing out the pattern of historical shocks erupting around the time that the DJIA and other key stock indices around the world reach key "psychological barriers":
http://thespiritoftruth.blogspot.com/2012/02/dow-13k.html
The key question is: What does this mean?
Answer: Call me when the DOW passes it's 14,000 all time high. LOL
This would have been the most coolest day ever to have participated in, for anybody.
Too bad those couple of thousand participants are the only ones to bear the honer of being there.
Sure wish I was there.
You got to watch a lot of the Youtube videos of the event to the end.
Just incredible.
http://www.thelearningman.com/2012/02/21/veterans-march-on-white-house-for-ron-paul/
So, one has to go to Russia Today to get video and UK Telegraph to get any decent print news. I am deeply saddened that the old media continues to fellate the Great Braack. All Barry can think to do is create more broken bodies for the Wounded Warrior Project. And create more overcrowding at Arlington.
Bring back Press TV, bring back the 'News'. Long live Tyler Durden!
At this rate, that might be in a couple of days.
This might be too;
They don't get to see what we get to see, like this.
I kinda feel sorry for them.
Make an epic movie of this event immediately and make DVD's in massive amounts and hand them out to everyone.
Say;
In case you missed it, this happened this past Presidents Day last Monday.
Congratulations Adam.
Veterans March on the Whitehouse
RON PAUL IS THE CHOICE OF THE TROOPS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9yewKCcFSvQ#!
You speak false. Israel has never refused inspection because it was never asked, and it was never asked because it never signed the NNPT.
As of July 2011, 189 recognized states are party to the treaty. Montenegro is the most recent state to have joined, submitting its instrument of accession on 3 June 2006.[1] In addition, Taiwan is not recognized as a sovereign state, but has accepted comprehensive IAEA safeguards and the measures of the Additional Protocol to verify that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. North Korea was a party to the treaty but announced its withdrawal on 10 January 2003; its withdrawal became effective ninety days later.[1] Three states have never signed on to the treaty: India, Israel, and Pakistan. The NPT remains the most widely subscribed to arms control treaty in history.[2]
On the other hand Iran is a signatory to the treaty and thus by international law must submit to inspections on demand. North Korea was as well and backed out because as we all now know they were indeed building atomic weapons, and they have shared their technology with Iran, though I cannot for the life of me understand why Iran would want Pakistani or North Korean nuclear weapons technology if they have no intentions of building such weapons themselves. Perhaps they need the technology to make sure they do not build a nuclear weapon by accident?
I am sick to death of the pig headed idiocy here at ZH in this matter. It is not about whether or not Iran seeks atomic weapons, we are past that, it is now about you defending their so called right to have them.
Let the arguments be about that, the real issue, not about Iranian desires to get or not get nuclear weapons, because they either already have them or will before this year is done.
For my part I say I can tolerate a lot, and I think diplomacy has to have it's day, carrot and stick, but I also say Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons in any circumstances and no matter what it takes they must give up on that goal. If this be the end of humanity then so be it, but if Iran gets the bomb humanity will wish that we had stopped them, for a short while till those dirty bastards use them.
Come on dude. Israel has 200+ nukes, which is more than enough to get Iran off the map. So even if Iran has a nuke or 2 (which is enough to get Israel off the map), they will never use it, because they're not that stupid, despite what you think...
I was about to write a serious response but then I read that last paragraph and all of your credibility went out the window. You trolling?
The Kim in Chief in NK and his dead father are/were far bigger nutjobs than Ahmedinejad could ever be. US-NK relations haven't escalated since they got the bomb. In fact, it forced the US to back off with the saber-rattling and it allowed for some diplomatic breakthroughs (ie Clinton visiting and negotiating the prisoner release months after their 2009 nuke test). Pakistan is far more unstable than Iran. It's civilian government is contantly on the threshold of collapse back into military dictatorship. Pakistani intelligence is in bed with overtly, violently anti-American elements AND it has access to their nuclear stockpile.
Yet you're willing to wipe humanity off the face of the earth to "stop Iran"? You're nuts. You're right that we should be more honest though. Honesty: this is about Israel. Honesty: nuclear weapons are insurance policies against globalist "regime change." Generally, once you get the nukes, the US backs off. If Iran gets the bomb, it nullifies a lot of US threats and it becomes far more difficult for Israel to run roughshod over Palestine/Lebanon as it has for over three decades. It tilts the political landscape considerably and Mr. Netanyahoo can't have that.
This is typical of Israeli psychosis:
For my part I say I can tolerate a lot, and I think diplomacy has to have it's day, carrot and stick, but I also say Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons in any circumstances and no matter what it takes they must give up on that goal. If this be the end of humanity then so be it, but if Iran gets the bomb humanity will wish that we had stopped them, for a short while till those dirty bastards use them.
You are basing starting Nuclear WW3 on a hypothetical situation.
This is what I mean by psychotic.
That's sort of the essence of th e precautionary principal policy.
The Precautionary Principle Who Benefits?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GIkWuuq45I
What if Jesus(Joshua) was just a man, touched by God a bit, who had to qualify to enter the Kingdom of Heaven just like everyone else?
Not everyone qualifies.
Wow ... You are one sick fuck!!
Humanity desperately needs your DNA strain to die out.
Rising gold got you down? Call the BIS at 1-800-RIG-MKTS
So we start global thermo-nuclear war to PREVENT nuclear war? lol
Doesn't get much more whack than that!
Now, back tot he Ministry of Truth with ya!
Let's see: Iran is a nation which has not undertaken aggressive military actions against another nation in about 200 years. Yeah, that's two centuries.
Israel and the USA? Both have barely stopped taking aggressive military action since WWII ended.
And you're so worried about Iran?
Real logical.
The most recent analysis is that Israel has 200. Don't know why you even need that many though. Certainly 50 or so should be a deterrent. The nuclear fallout of several hundred missiles detonating in the middle east would make it all a waste land.
Oh, I don't think all of those weapons are still in the Middle East, do you?
Yeah, but Israel won't nuke Lake Jackson, TX, Iran just might, dumbass!
A crude North Korean or Pakistani device could be used on US soil too, but that hasn't happened. Wake up. We have more chance of a nuclear false flag than a real attack.
As a non-signatory to the NPT, Israel is within their legal right to refuse said inspections. So who's worse, a non-signatory or a signatory that repeatedly looks forward to the death of millions in atomic fire?
Haarrroww
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSXNJMP8ir4
Are those Israeli fighter jets I hear starting their engines?
Those for sure, but those can just destroy airplanes. Based on the description the Leon Pannetta made of the bomb, it would take a B52 to carry it. I don't know if Israel has any B52s. Or any other cargo plane that is built but is secret.
Google Atomic Cannon.
It can deliver a Nuclear strike some miles away. They are not that big.
Google Gerald Bull, I wonder who got them cannon plans! Yikes!
pump up the jam..
Not enough depleted uranium flying around the world atmosphere yet.
new world order wants everyone deformed or dead. Just like they are.
"When do we start WWIII, General?"
"When I give the command."
"If I may respectfully inquire when do you think that'll be, sir?"
"As soon as myself and family are safely ensconced deep in the bowels of Cheyenne Mountain."
Cheyenne is a great place, but is obsolete because Soviet Penetrators can get into the rock followed by the Nuke.
So what you're telling me then is that the only safe place in the event of a nuke strike is underneath Keith Richards?
No it's in a place no one cares about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny4a-oxOndo
Where ever Cher is,Tony Bennett,Dick Clark and Betty White.Hang out with that crew.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuP6KbIsNK4
dr. strangelove - survival planhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iesXUFOlWC0&feature=fvsr
wing attack plan r
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-KIAsuoMAQ&feature=related
DOWN WITH DEFCON !
"Not enough depleted uranium flying around the world atmosphere yet."
That's a detail a haven't figured out. They exist in the same atmosphere as the rest of us. Correct? Or do they?
We have no money for this SHIT!!!!
So, once the war cometh, apart from crude futures, what asset classes will be a good idea to hold?
Wrong. The war comes. Iran can't export crude except for to few countries that will negotiate much lower prices, hence crude prices will go lower. That would cascade all the current hoarded crude oil into the market. Unless for daily trading, crude oil is not an asset for safety.
Yeah.. you keep telling yourself that.. click your heels 3 times while you say it.. maybe it will come true..
It's been 4 years I've followed crude oil every single day, few hours a day. I am addicted to geo politics. I have a lot of disposable time.
Unless one spends countless hours and days on it, it's true, it sounds unbelievable. But, sir, it's true what I'm saying.
What about that Strait of something or the other...
You know, the one where 20% of the world's oil passes?
Think some disruptions in that will make prices rise?
It will if the US Navy leaves. But, the whole point of the US Navy being there is not to allow that. The threat is not just now, the threat has always been there and it was just due to US Navy the crude oil flows to the world.
US Navy has been there, it is there and it will never ever leave that area. However, if Iran sinks a ship to block it, it will take a month or so, based on what I've read to unblock it. However, the Iranian will never do that, because it will give justification to US to attack and they're gone. Read about Ghadafi vs Reagan in 1988 (I think).
Conclusion: If they block it, US will attack, destroy and pull back. No more threat.
This is all getting out of hand. Where in the hell is that skinny dude with the big ass silver robot when ya need him?
he gave up on us long ago... he figured we cant even overthrow the money masters on our own.... so are we worth his attention?
makes us look weak. :-(
he helps those who at least try to help themselves.
A ship to block it.
You are dealing with water 20 miles plus across and so deep.
A ship HAH.
Ft McHenry in the War of 1812 required that all the Merchants commit their ships to sink and block the British navy easy access to down town.
Well there are only certain channels that are so deep where tankers must pass. It's certainly not 20 miles wide, it's certainly not some skinny one kilometer corridor either.
I betcha it's about big enough for a surface fleet to scare the shit out of a tanker captain, let's put it that way.
It depends of course on the weapon used and the target. Did you just use a nuclear tipped torpedo to take out a nuclear powered carrier? Well then the area is effectively blocked for a long while. Are you going to ship your goods through that mess?
However, the Iranian will never do that, because it will give justification to US to attack and they're gone.
Perhaps you should pay more attention to geopolitics.
It's not just America vs Iran. It's America vs Iran, Russia, China, and everyone else in that Asian alliance. Nuclear alliance I might add. All firmly on Iran's side.
People these days just can't believe things would escalate to thermonuclear. They've never seen it happen.
America attacks / invades Iran, it's game over for America.
That's all I have to say about that.
The thing is, it's already game over for the American political and economic leadership. They're bankrupt several times over, in every way imaginable. In a truly free market, most of the top 5% or so of the nation would have had its "wealth" (paper) completely liquidated by now. So what the fuck do they have to lose? They're already on the edge. When you're down by 7 with 10 seconds left do you try to slowly but steadily push up the field over several plays or do you throw a hail mary? The fiat game appears to be over. The equities markets are so distorted and out of line with reality they're a complete joke. They fired all of their ammo and nothing seems to work. So if you look at it from their perspective, World War III might not be such a bad prospect. A crazy hail mary pass might be their only hope.
How do you fight a war when you're broke too? Nukes are an excellent choice.
C.O.G,
It's sad how uninformed people are about the topic. In the past it was common to have home shelters. Then it went to community ones. Now only the elite have them. Those shelters for the elite are being built over and over right now too. That's not past projects. It is something the government is actively doing right now. The government is also setting up hot and warm backup sites for all important agencies outside of DC, and they didn't start doing that until about 10 years ago. Why the sudden rush? Perhaps the next 9/11 will be nuclear. All I know is that the government is preparing for it still, so why wouldn't individuals at least take it into consideration?
Nuclear war, or even limited "terrorist" strikes, on US soil would solve the 2A hurdle too. It doesn't matter if Americans are well armed if 200 million of them just died.
The Strait of Hormuz is in easy reach of artillery and short-range missiles from land.
The navigable channel is only 2 milles wide and likelly mined.
And then there's all kinds of low-tech approaches like speed boats with explosives.
The kind of ship that transports oil in there is large, slow and thin skinned. They don't have anti-missile defense capabilities nor do they have the mavouverability or a thick enough skin to defend against artillery or even old-fashioned WWII style torpedoes.
The US Navy will have their hands tied up defending themselves, much less have the capability to protect big, fat, slow and thin-skinned targets. After a couple of supertankers are sunk in the middle of the navigable channel, nobody would be getting through.
If you're such a geostrategist, you should've figured out that the US Navy's power in there mostly symbolic - it keeps the US allies sweet and as long as Iran doesn't want to start a war with the US, it will not take actions that risk conflict with the US Navy units stationed there. Iran's restraint doesn't come from fearing the power of the US Navy units stationed there, it comes from fearing all out war against the entire US military.
In a situation where all out war has already been started by the US, those rules will not apply anymore since Iran will have nothing to loose in attacking targets protected by the US Navy (quite the contrary even). At that point what we have is a strategic nightmare involving civilian ships in a narrow channel in easy reach from the land of a country which has been preparing for this for a long time now and has much more of sophisticated AA than any other country the US has fought until now (good luck in achieving air superiority and being able to project power inland quickly).
ekm Fantasyland:
Iran will not block the Strait of Hormuz, because then the US will retaliate and "they're gone."
However, a nuclear-armed Iran would immediately drop the bomb on Israel with no thought of the consequences.
Doublethink.
Sorry - ain't gonna happen. China and India will buy up every free drop Iran is willing to sell.
Agree, At 20% discount.
Indeed, and why would we think they will not act militarily to protect their 20% discounted supply?
Don't have to attack or be aggressive.
Just can send fighter jets to help defend Iranian airspace.
Good point. That one, sir, is called WW3.
Right now, USA is ruler of the planet. Nobody is out of mind to stand up to USA. That's pure fact.
By the way, I am not american, I am born and raised in europe, but live in Canada. Dual citizenship.
I'm no optimist, no pessimist, just a realist.
One doesn't have to stand up to the u.s. As tyler pointed out in his sovereign holdings of u.s. debt, one just has to walk away.....
Theoretically yes. What matters is the practical mechanism. There is nothing else right now to park any trillion. Any market is too too small. Hence, USD becomes in demand just due to its humangous trade size.
Scrutinizing the inscrutable is a neat trick if you can do it.
In a highly liquid market, a small permanent change in the balance between offer and demand is enough to trigger a huge price swing. If the offer outweights demand by 10% you get a price drop which is far more than those 10%.
This is a much true for oil as it is for the US dollar. If just 10% of the demand for US dollars dries up, the value of the US dollar will plunge, probably initiating a vicious cycle where inflation is imported back into the US reducing confidence in the currency while foreign holders of US assets dump them to limit their losses, both further depressing in the value of the US dollar. In this situation people would move into anything but the dollar. Markets that might be small now would just be puffed-up (bubble-like) and grow to huge size purelly on asset valuation.
You can't look at the static picture and extrapolate from there - it's not how things work during a change, you don't have just one varible changing and all else staying the same. In a dynamic situation, as the local equilibrium is lost, a lot of things that were related to the old situation would change so markets that are not even noticeable at the moment would grow enough to take in the new money. Simple example: to avoid serious overheating in their internal market, China could be forced to end their peg with the US dollar if dollar inflation took of, thus creating a huge sink for capital exiting the dollar.
EKM,
Is the dual citzenship israeli by any chance?
Not at all. I am no israeli. I am just an addict to geopolitics.
I admit, I like them. Just 5 or 6 million in the midst of 200 millions arabs, that is a lot of guts, sir.
It takes a lot of guts to live within striking distance of a nation armed with hundreds of nuclear weapons and a Samson complex.
EKM
As you well know not everyone has the patience for fear.
Sometimes they are pushed just a tad too far
or would you suggest that they negotiate with the 'ruler of the planet'
even a fearful oldman like myself remembers the treaties made with Native Americans
Most of the nations on the planet truly are tired of being pushed around by the fat anglolandians
I had hoped that the taste of blood in americans would have worn off by now but death and detruction seem to be addictive
No one wins---everyone loses, so why do you keep pushing war?
I'm fucking sick of life on this planet being destroyed mindlessly by each new generation
It makes me want to scream-----
NO MORE WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! om
Very good words OM.......I am in agreement.
Right now, USA is ruler of the planet. Nobody is out of mind to stand up to USA. That's pure fact.
It's pure bullshit actually. :)
Great name to start WWIII in the words of Michael Jackson "cause this is Tharallah"
HAHA
"Don't have to attack or be aggressive."
What is our biggest weakness? Oil >>>>gasoline prices. They don't have to do anything but push up the fear factor, therefore the price of gasoline/diesel, then just sit back and watch us all go bankrupt. Why waste good fighter jets when words will do?
seems like a 20% discount after our foreign policy drives the price up 20%, they get gold as payment and cut off Europe is a win for who?
Check my opinion in response to BiginJapan above.
They'll be trading oil for something other than US Dollars, so I'd say that's actually an improvement. Price is meaningless if the currency you're being paid in is about to be as well.
There will be a little matter of burning pipelines, refineries, tankers, Trucks... Iranians...
Good point. What I think is happening is that the price rose abruptly from 77 in August to 95 due to Storage and Hoarding of oil by USA, Europe, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Upon attack, they would release all this oil and flood the market.
It's not a new idea. Reagan did it in 1988 against Ghadaffi and the price tanked. USA + Europe gave a warning few months ago with the SPR release.
From 95 up to now at 105, I think the traders jumped in, the weak hands.
Actually i could envision the critters in congress and obongo starting a shooting war with Iran and doing something as stupid as selling off our spr.. They have an excellent track record in these regards
They did it few month ago. Just a trial. It worked.
Your definition of "worked" is apparently very different from mine.
One other little point, The Saudi's biggest refineries are on the Persian Gulf, with in easy range of Iranian Missiles, if these refineries get hit, you will see a spike in Gas Prices that are huge. Also these refineries are one of the few that can refine in huge volume the oil that is of very low quality, unlike sweet Texas crude.
It's been many years I've followed porn every single day, few hours a day. I am addicted to pornography. I have a lot of dispoable time. Unless one spends countless hours and days on it, it's true, it sounds unbelievable. But sir, it's true what i'm saying,
As demand drops prices actually go up.