Russia, China join pressure against Iran, page
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Topic started on 15-4-2006 @ 04:07 AM by meridian_blood_29387423
Iran's leaders have almost certainly worked out an escalating set of responses to counter any actions the international community decides to take.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki already has warned that if the IAEA refers Iran to the UN Security Council, Iran would no longer permit the agency to make spot inspections of its nuclear sites.

That would be a serious blow to international community, which presently knows quite a lot about Iran's nuclear program but suddenly would find itself operating in the dark.

Iran also could withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. That would greatly weaken the pact and illustrate to others interested in nuclear weapons how they can use the treaty to obtain the necessary technology, then pull out once they are able to build a bomb.

But Iran's main weapon against the West is oil. Over the weekend, Economy Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari said that "any possible sanctions from the West could possibly, by disturbing Iran's political and economic situation, raise oil prices beyond the levels the West expects."

Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil exporter, and it sits astride the Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the West's oil supplies must transit. Industry experts have cautioned that the price of oil could quickly hit $100 a barrel if Iran stopped exporting or the strait became a conflict zone.

Iranian leader's boast

With oil currently priced at about $65 a barrel, Iran expects to earn about $50 billion this year. Sanctions would cut into that revenue, and Iran's citizens would not welcome a return to the days of their country's diplomatic isolation, but there is little doubt that Iran has a higher pain threshold than the industrialized nations of the West.

"You [the West] need us more than we need you," Ahmadinejad recently boasted.

Gernot Erler, Germany's deputy foreign minister, underscored another problem for the U.S. and Europe: "We are seeing desperate measures by Asian countries, mainly China, India and others, to get hold of energy resources, and for them Iran is a partner they cannot do without."

Erler cautioned against trade sanctions "which could hurt one's own side more than the other side."

Russia recently signed a $1 billion arms deal with Iran, and China gets about 12 percent of its energy from Iran.

The Chinese government, in a statement Monday, said "all relevant sides should remain restrained and stick to resolving the nuclear issue through negotiations." But President Bush has refused to rule out using military force against Iran, and over the weekend U.S. senators from both parties concurred.

"Everything else has to be exhausted," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) told CBS News. "But to say under no circumstance would we exercise a military option, that would be crazy."

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) told CNN that while diplomacy would be preferable, an attack on Iran's nuclear sites "would dramatically delay its development."

But even if American military forces were not already stretched thin in Iraq, many analysts believe that a military strike is unrealistic and would not prevent Iran from eventually acquiring a nuclear weapon. If anything, it would strengthen Tehran's resolve.


Okay, I wanted to keep this short
So i'm just gonna make a short little comment
Well, I think that the upcoming years the oil prices will rise more than we (the west) would ever imagine
Iran is playing it smart, the US (so i think bush) is afraid of iran, using the oil as a weapon. Anyways, i'm not gooing to say anything more,
Gotta keep it short !


- MB


reply posted on 16-4-2006 @ 06:24 AM by meridian_blood_29387423
Originally posted by Apoplexy123
Maybe we will have another cold war senario..
I mean, Russia and the U.s had 50 years of threatning each other....and not one nuke was launched..
I guees it's a big call to say America would attck Iran, but what does the world do when America isn't in control of absolutley everything, when theres another nation saying 'we have what you need, now START BEGGING'. I mean generaly most muslim communities want the death of america, not the west but america, they started a holy war on the middle east and so americans are infedels.



Hm... quite interesting what you said about the ''cold war sceniaro'' never thought of that. But you are right, it does sound like one.
And (as you said before) everybody SAYS America is in control of almost everything, I DON"T think you so, as you may know... America is slightly beginning to be the ''puppy'' of the west ( Russia, Iran and China)
And i don't like the sound of that ¬¬ although i hate bush, i don't want America to lose against those 3 countries, the presidents of Russia and iran are far more worse than bush. But they ARE smarter
IF nothing happens fast... You think the US will be taken over by Iran/russia? And maybe the Chineze because they're working together with Russia and Iran... whoah actually quite disturbing, don't ya think?

Originally posted by Apoplexy123
Sooooo if Iran gets nuclear wepons.. who's to say that they won't fire the first one?


Indeed Apoplexy, IF Iran gets the chance to attack. They probably will..
I mean, they've got the oil... they've got the allies... (china and Russia) and they've almost got one of the highest technology.
Whoah, and if they launch a nuke the whole entire friggin world will be affected by that! And Iran/Russia/China doesn't care ofcourse..
geez.. I wonder how alla this is going to end up.


- MB
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