President Obama Shrugs Off The Latest Threats From Iran

Obama Shrugs Off Iran's New Israel Threat -- The Australian

US President Barack Obama says Iran's leader should spend more time working to improve the lot of his people than firing off warnings that he will annihilate Israeli cities.

Obama, in Jordan on Friday on the latest stop of a Middle East tour, sought to avoid getting into a war of words with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but said Iran could transform its future if it stood down its nuclear program.

If Western sanctions were lifted, Obama said, Iran could build thriving businesses, and expand commerce and travel interactions with the rest of the world, including the United States.

"That should be the vision, not threats to raze Israeli cities to the ground," Obama said.

Obama was asked about Khamenei's broadside at a media conference with King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Read more ....

My Comment: President Obama is right .... but the Iranian leadership is not listening to him.

Iran's Supreme Leader Hints At A Willingness For First Direct US Nuclear Talks

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Reuters)

Amid Threats, Iran Hints at Direct Talks -- Yahoo News

According to a new report from the Associated Press, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is claiming his country would be willing to hold direct talks with Washington over its nuclear program.

Another report from Reuters revived more blustery talk, though, as Khamenei also warned that Iran would destroy Tel Aviv and Haifa if Israel preemptively attacked Iranian nuclear facilities.

The following is further information on the Iranian nuclear program headlines.

Read more ....

More News On Iran's Supreme Leader Hinting At A Willingness For Direct US Nuclear Talks

Iran says it’s not opposed to direct talks with US -- Salon/AP
Khamenei not against nuclear talks with US -- Al Jazeera
Khamenei Raises Prospect Of Nuclear Talks -- Financial Times
Khamenei hints at first direct US N-talks -- International News

My Comment: Not surprising .... he offered nothing to get such talks started .... and if history is any indication .... he will continue to offer nothing. As far as he is concerned .... God is on his side, and we are (quoting him and the late Ayatollah Khomeini) the Great Satan.

Poll: 99% Of Americans View Iran's Nuclear Bomb Program As A Threat

Poll: 99% Of Americans View Iran Developing A Nuclear Weapon As A Threat -- Zachary Keck, The Diplomat

A new poll released by Gallup has found that Americans view Iran and North Korea’s nuclear programs as the greatest security threat their country faces.

99% of respondents characterized the development of nuclear weapons by Iran as a threat to the United States, with 83% saying it was a “critical threat” and 16% saying it was “important but not critical.” Only one percent of respondents said it was not an important threat.

The U.S. and its allies accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian program, a charge Tehran vehemently denies.

Read more ....

My Comment: Only 99%?

Iran's Supreme Leader Rejects Direct Talks With The U.S.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran, in this file photo taken August 30, 2012. REUTERS/Hamid Forootan/ISNA

Iran's Khamenei Rejects US Nuclear Talks Offer -- BBC

Iran's supreme leader has dismissed a US offer of one-to-one talks on Tehran's nuclear programme.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech posted online that the US was proposing talks while "pointing a gun at Iran".

On Saturday, US Vice-President Joe Biden suggested direct talks, separate to the wider international discussions due to take place later this month.

But the US widened sanctions on Iran on Wednesday, aiming to tighten a squeeze on Tehran's ability to spend oil cash.

Read more ....

More News On Iran's Supreme Leader Rejecting Direct Talks With The U.S.

Iran's supreme leader rejects Joe Biden's offer of direct talks -- NBC
Khamenei rebuffs U.S. offer of direct talks -- Reuters
Iran’s supreme leader rejects proposals for direct nuclear talks with US -- Washington Post/AP
Iran's supreme leader rejects nuclear talks with U.S. -- UAS Today
Iran leader rejects US offer of talks 'at gunpoint' -- AFP
Supreme leader: U.S. pressuring Iran on talks -- CNN
Iranian Supreme Leader Dismisses US Offer of Talks as "Deceitful" -- Fars News Agency (Iran)

My Comment: I guess it would hard to explain to your followers why you can have talks with someone that you are always referring to as "The Great Satan".

US Secretary of State Kerry Wants To Meet Iran's Foreign Minister

U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing to be secretary of state, on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 24, 2013. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Report: John Kerry Seeks Meeting With Iranian Foreign Minister -- Al Gemeiner

The U.S. has renewed efforts to open a dialogue with Iran vis-a-vis its nuclear program. According to a report in the Israeli daily Maariv, newly minted Secretary of State John Kerry has been trying to set up a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Al Akbar Salehi.

Western sources told Maariv the pupose of the talks are to initiate direct dialogue while also joining in on talks with the P5 + 1—the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is the Iranian analysis on US outreach efforts.

Vice President Biden: US Ready For Direct Nuclear Iran Negotiations

Vice President Joe Biden delivers remarks during the 49th Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 2, 2013 DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

Biden Raises Possibility Of Direct U.S.-Iran Talks -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The United States is ready for direct talks with Iran if it is serious about negotiations, Vice President Joe Biden said on Saturday, backing bilateral contact many see as crucial to easing a dispute over Tehran's nuclear program.

Speaking at a security conference in Munich, Biden said Iran - which says it is enriching uranium for peaceful energy only - now faced "the most robust sanctions in history" meant to ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons.

"But we have also made clear that Iran's leaders need not sentence their people to economic deprivation and international isolation," Biden said. "There is still time, there is still space for diplomacy backed by pressure to succeed. The ball is in the government of Iran's court."

Read more ....

More News On VP Biden's Comments On The Possibility Of Direct U.S. - Iran Talks

Iran welcomes US willingness for direct nuclear talks, but doesn’t commit to accepting offer -- Washington Post/AP
Iran seeks 'authentic' bilateral US nuclear talks -- BBC
Iran reacts to US nuclear talks offer -- Euronews
Tehran Says Its Open To Talks With United States Under Certain Conditions -- Radio Free Europe
Biden: U.S. open to direct talks with Iran -- CNN
U.S. Ready for ‘Serious’ Direct Nuclear Iran Negotiations -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Biden: US Remains Open to Direct Talks With Iran -- ABC News
Biden Tells Iran to Get Serious about Talks -- Voice of America
Direct Talks With Iran? Biden Says It's Possible -- NPR
US can talk to Iran, says Joe Biden -- The Guardian

My Comment: There is already a process on how to deal on talks with Iran's nuclear program .... comments like this will only undermine the E5+1 process. This only adds to the confusion of what is U.S. policy towards Iran.

U.S. To Negotiate With Iran Directly?

Photo: Obama and Netanyahu. Flash 90

Report: Obama To Talk To Iran, Leave Israel In The Cold -- Jerusalem Post

Without consulting Israel, Obama has decided to hold direct negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.

U.S. President Barack Obama plans to soon propose to Iran that it negotiate directly with the Americans about its nuclear program, Channel 10 News reported on Tuesday.

The report, which cited a senior American official, said that Obama's move was made without any coordination or consultation with Israel.

According to the report, the Americans probably will allow a period of four to five months for negotiations with Tehran. If the talks fail, they may then resort to the military option. As well, Obama is planning to set preconditions for contacts with the Islamic Republic, including that it halt its uranium enrichment and agree to allow external monitoring of its nuclear facilities.

Read more ....

My Comment: So much for all of that White House talk on the need to work with our allies in containing Iran.

Iran Sees No Change In U.S. Policy Towards Them

Many Iranians See Nuke Talks, No Military Attack With Obama Reelection -- Daily Beast

Iranian citizens and authorities alike think Obama will put more pressure on Tehran for its nuclear program, but most believe he’s more likely to opt for talks and sanctions than the military action they expected from Romney.

On Wednesday morning, millions of Iranians stayed up to follow the American presidential election on international and Farsi-language satellite stations such as Voice of America and the BBC, many with serious trepidations about how the outcome would affect U.S.-Iran relations, not to mention the threat of military attacks Israel has made in recent months.

Over the years, Iranians have developed an awareness and sensitivity to the political agenda of American political parties and the effects those policies have on their lives. Of utmost importance during this particular election was the danger of a looming military attack on Iran, and the fact that Mitt Romney had expressed a willingness to proceed with such an action.

Read more ....

My Comment: In short .... the Iranians are optimistic that U.S. policy towards them will not change .... there will be sanctions .... but no war. What's my take .... the Americans are not the only country that the Iranians should be worried about.

Iranians Celebrate The 33rd Anniversary Of The U.S. Embassy Seizure

Iranians Burn American Flags, Chant 'Death To US' To Mark Embassy Seizure (PHOTOS) -- RT

Thousands of Iranians have gathered in Tehran, setting US flags on fire and chanting “Death to America.” The demonstration marks the 33rd anniversary of the taking of the US embassy, in which 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days.

The demonstrators also shouted anti-British and anti-Israeli slogans, and burnt Israeli flags in front of the former embassy building.

The premises are now controlled by Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, and currently serve as a training and educational facility. The building, which is covered in anti-US murals, was named a “den of spies” by the authorities that sponsor the annual commemoration.

Read more ....

More News On Iranians Marking The U.S. Embassy Takeover 33 Years Ago

Iranians to mark US embassy takeover anniversary -- Press TV (Iran)
Rallies Held Throughout Iran to Mark US Embassy Takeover -- FARS News Agency (Iran)
Iranians rally on hostage anniversary -- UPI
Iranians mark anniversary of US embassy seizure -- YNet News
Iranians mark 'Day of Fighting the Global Arrogance' -- Jerusalem Post
US most criminal regime on earth, says Iranian general on siege anniversary -- The Guardian
Chanting “death to America” Iranians demonstrators mark 33 year US Embassy seizure anniversary -- Guardian Express
Iran Hostage Taker Returns to the Spotlight, With Insight -- New York Times

U.S. Secretary Of State Clinton: No 'Deadlines' For Iran

Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister, meeting Secretary Clinton for a working dinner in Washington DC, May 18, 2009. Wikipedia

U.S. ‘Not Setting Deadlines’ for Iran, Clinton Says -- Bloomberg

The U.S. is “not setting deadlines” for Iran and still considers negotiations as “by far the best approach” to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

While Clinton said in an interview yesterday that economic sanctions are building pressure on Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week the sanctions aren’t slowing Iran’s nuclear advances “because it doesn’t see a clear red line from the international community.”

Read more ....

My Comment: This is a major rebuff of Israeli demands for a more aggressive U.S. policy towards Iran. In short ... Sec. of State Clinton has just told the Israelis that the U.S. is going to focus on diplomacy and a push for negotiated agreement settlement with Iran over it's nuclear program..

Polls: Americans Are Overwhelming Against Military Action On Iran

Americans Favor Diplomacy Over Military Action On Iran By Almost 4 to 1 -- Stewart M. Patrick, The Atlantic

Opinion polls also find that only 8 percent of Americans are willing to accept a nuclear Iran.

The Obama administration hoped the specter of an oil embargo and increasingly stringent banking sanctions would finally force Iran to come clean on its clandestine nuclear program and end its enrichment activities. No such luck. After the third round of P5+1 negotiations in Moscow ended last month in a stalemate, the White House and Congress are competing to isolate the intransigent Iranian government.

Last Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department moved to close holes in the Iran sanctions regime, blacklisting more than a dozen front companies and four individuals that are helping Tehran evade U.S. and European Union (EU) restrictions on its oil exports, and placing twenty Iranian financial institutions on a watch list.

Read more ....

My Comment: I understand this sentiment ..... after a decade of war there is now a wariness in the U.S. to pursue another war of choice .... especially a war against Iran. Unfortunately, the Iranian government is also aware of this sentiment, and are using this information to not compromise on their enrichment program.

No U.S. Military Hotline To Iran

Iran Rejects Proposed U.S. Military Hot Line -- Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON— Iranian military leaders have rebuffed a plan championed by senior Obama administration officials to establish a military-to-military hot line between Washington and Tehran, increasing U.S. fears about the potential for clashes between American and Iranian planes and ships operating in the oil-rich Persian Gulf.

The snubbing of the U.S. idea by Iranian naval and Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commanders also appears to further undercut the political position of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Read more ....

My Comment: Further proof that it is the "hard-liners" who are in control of Iran.

A U.S. - Iran Hotline?

Report: US Considering Military Hotline With Iran -- Voice of America

A U.S. newspaper says the United States is considering trying to establish a direct military hotline with Iran in order to defuse potential confrontations between the two countries' military forces.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that one proposal would create a link between the Iranian Navy and the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, which is based in the Gulf island nation of Bahrain.

Read more ....

More News On A U.S. - Iran Hotline

US considers emergency hotline with Iran: official -- AFP
US 'considers emergency hot line with Iran' -- The Telegraph
US 'considers emergency hot line with Iran' -- Economic Times
US-Iran military "hotline" link reports 'premature': US official -- News Track India
Iran open to "hot line" with US -- Forbes/AP
U.S. Weighs a Direct Line to Tehran -- Wall Street Journal
A Hotline With Iran? Dealing with Governments We Loathe -- Ted Galen Carpenter, National Interest
U.S. and Iran to Establish Military Hotline? -- Ali Alfoneh, The American

My Comment: This has been a concern among many in the Pentagon for a long time .... but I suspect that the Iranians have a different point of view.

Iran Threatens To Send Warships Off The American Coast

The Iranian Kharg warship at a dock in the Syrian coastal city Latakia, February 25, 2011. REUTERS/Davoud Poorsehat/IRNA

Iran Says Could Deploy Navy Near U.S. Coast: Report -- MSNBC/Reuters

TEHRAN — Iran raised the prospect on Tuesday of sending military ships close to the United States' Atlantic coast, in what would be a major escalation of tensions between the long-standing adversaries.

"Like the arrogant powers that are present near our marine borders, we will also have a powerful presence close to American marine borders," the head of the Navy, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said, according to the official IRNA news agency.

Read more ....

More News On Iran Threatening To Send Warships Off The U.S. Coast

Official: Iran to send ships near U.S. coast -- Politico
Iran plans to send ships close to US waters: report -- AFP
Iran plans to send ships close to US waters: report -- Africasia
Iranian naval vessels to be deployed near U.S. sea borders: commander -- Tehran Times
'Iran to deploy vessels near US waters' -- Press TV (Iran)

Iran: U.S. "Hikers" Jailed As Spies For 8 Years

US hikers Shane Bauer (L) and Josh Fattal during the first session of their trial at the Tehran, February 2011 Photo: AFP

Iran Jails U.S. "Hikers" As Spies For 8 Years -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Two Americans held in Iran for more than two years have been convicted as spies and sentenced to eight years' jail, Iranian TV reported Saturday, a verdict that will further strain already very poor relations with Washington.



Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were arrested on July 31, 2009 near Iran's border with Iraq, along with a third American, Sarah Shourd, who was freed on $500,000 bail in September 2010 and returned home.



The trio, in their late 20s and early 30s, say they were hiking in the mountains of northern Iraq and, if they crossed the unmarked border into Iran, it was by mistake.



Read more ....



My Comment: The Iranians are making it clear to everyone .... do not come close to our borders (or else).

U.S. Secretary Of Defense Gates Has Taken The Military Option Off The Table On Iran

WASHINGTON INTERVIEW - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, right, responds to a question during an interview with Gerald F. Seib, the Wall Street Journal's executive Washington editor, during the newspaper's CEO Council event in Washington, D.C., Nov. 16, 2010. The interview focused on upcoming budget cuts within the department. Seib also is the Wall Street Journal's assistant managing editor. DOD photo by R. D. Ward

Robert Gates Takes Military Option Off Iranian Table -- Haaretz

A military strike on Iran would not stop its nuclear program, but there is “some evidence” that sanctions are having an effect on internal politics in the Islamic Republic, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday.

He told The Wall Street Journal CEO Council conference that a military strike might make matters even worse by making Iran’s nuclear program more “covert.”

Read more ....

More News On Sec. of Defense Gates Comments On Iran

Gates sees Iran rift, says strike would unite country -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Gates: Iran strike wouldn't stop nuclear program -- Jerusalem Post
Military action won't stop Iran nuclear program: US -- AFP

My Comment: The Iranians are taking note .... and laughing at the U.S. at the same time.

U.S. Senator Calls For Massive Military Strike Against Iran

U.S. Senator Mark Udall, Norm Ornstein, resident scholar, American Enterprise Institute, and Senator Lindsey Graham, left to right, participate in a panel discussion at the Halifax International Security Forum in Halifax on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan)

'Neuter' Iran, U.S. Senator Tells N.S. Security Summit -- CTV

HALIFAX — A U.S. lawmaker sent ripples through an international audience Saturday saying his country should be prepared to launch a military attack on Iran that would "neuter" the hard line regime.

But Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who was in attendance, said a military attack on Iran would have negative fallout, and that international sanctions are preferable.

Read more ....

More News On Senator Graham's Comments On Iran

GOP senator: Consider neutering Iran's 'ability to wage war' -- CNN
Senator: consider taking out Iran's military -- Washington Post
US senator sees 'confrontation' with China, war with Iran -- AFP
US senator wants war on Iran -- Press TV (Iran)

My Comment: Senator Graham is up for election in two years, and he has fallen out of favor with Republican conservatives and many members of the Tea Party. There will be a challenge to him in the primaries, and he is in trouble politically. This call for a military strike against Iran is all theater to convince the right wing that he is serious about defense and security issues .... but if anything .... this type of talk (in my opinion) reveals him as someone who should not be Senator.

Iranians Celebrate The Anniversary Of The U.S. Embassy Hostage Crisis

Iranians rallied on Thursday to mark the 31st anniversary of the US embassy takeover some 30 years ago. Press TV

Iran Stages Mass Protest On Anniversary Of US Embassy Capture -- The Telegraph

Thousands of Iranians chanted “Death to America” as they staged a mass protest against the “Great Satan” to mark the 31st anniversary of the capture of the American embassy by Islamist students.

Waving Iranian flags and carrying anti-US banners alongside posters of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the largely young crowd also shouted anti-Israel slogans.

Iran annually on November 4 marks the anniversary of the capture of the US embassy by Islamist students in Tehran in 1979, months after the Islamic revolution which toppled the US-backed shah.

Read more ....

More News On Iran Remembering The U.S. Embassy Hostage Anniversary

Iran marks anniversary of U.S. Embassy crisis -- CNN
Thousands rally as Iran marks US embassy capture -- AFP
Iranian protesters bash US and Britain in rallies marking US Embassy takeover anniversary -- Canadian Press
Iran marks anniversary of U.S. embassy seizure -- Xinhuanet
'US embassy seizure milestone for Iran' -- Press TV (Iran)

U.S. Hopeful On Iran Returning To The Negotiating Table

U.S. Tries Restart of Talks With Iran -- Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration is pushing to revive a failed deal for Iran to send some of its nuclear stockpile overseas in exchange for assistance with peaceful nuclear technology, according to senior U.S. officials. The aim is to try to reduce Tehran's ability to quickly produce an atomic weapon.

Washington and other Western capitals are hoping Tehran will return to the negotiating table because they believe a fresh round of international economic sanctions against Iran—put in place after the previous fuel-swap deal fell apart last year—has begun to bite hard.

Read more ....

My Comment: After 30 years of conflict .... the U.S. government is (still) seriously that Iran wants to talk. I guess we need another 30 years before U.S. government officials realize that maybe .... just maybe .... the religious zealots who run Iran are not interested in having talks with "the Great Satan".

Iran Hikers' Captivity Equals That Of Embassy Hostages

U.S. Hikers Spend 444th Day In Prison In Iran -- ABC News

Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer Will Face Trial for Spying, Says Government.

American hikers Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer spent day 444 in detention in Iran like the previous 443, in a special section of Tehran's Evin prison, separated from the other prisoners. 444 days has long symbolized the U.S. embassy hostage crisis, when, from Nov. 4, 1979, to Jan. 20, 1981, armed Iranian students held 52 Americans hostage after seizing the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

Read more ....

Update #1: For hikers held in Iran, a discouraging milestone -- Boston Herald
Update #2: Hikers held in Iran pass captivity mark -- UPI

My Comment: It looks like they are going to be in prison for a very long time.