Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is in New York this week for the UN General Assembly, and rather than be on his best behaviour, he has used this event to make another verbal threat against Israel.
On Sunday the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon warned Ahmadinejad that he should refrain from making any statements that could ignite tensions in the Middle East, yet on Monday the Iranian told reporters that "Iran has been around for the last seven, 10 thousand years. They (the Israelis) have been occupying those territories for the last 60 to 70 years, with the support and force of the Westerners. They have no roots there in history."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted in the past that his country is fed up with Barack Obama's approach to Iran, and his belief that the sanctions should be given more time to try and force the nation into serious talks over its nuclear program. A lack of action could see Israel could take matters into their own hands and strike out at Iran's nuclear sites.
Ahmadinejad said that they "don't even count Israel as any part of any equation for Iran. During a historical phase, they represent minimal disturbances that come into the picture and are then eliminated."
Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a brigadier general in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated that if intelligence was received that Israel were preparing to attack, then Iran were ready to launch a pre-emptive strike.
Ahmadinejad hinted that his country may be willing to complete negotiations with the US about their nuclear program, finally acknowledging the fact that the whole situation will only be resolved over a negotiation table.
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"The nuclear issue is not a problem. But the approach of the United States on Iran is important. We are ready for dialogue, for a fundamental resolution of the problems, but under conditions that are based on fairness and mutual respect," he said.
By. Joao Peixe of Oilprice.com
Joao is a writer for Oilprice.com More
Comments
Secondly does anyone really think tht Iran is going to irradiate Palestine for the next 500,000 years? That's plain stupid.
Thirdly the Iranians, contrary to popular perceptions are rational players. Its Netanyahu, in a very tigtht corner, who is becoming irrational. He is threatening an airstrike that has probably less than a 50-50 chance of any success. He is desperate.
Iran will probably not close Hormuz; that would be 'cutting its nose to spite its face'. It would do much better to employ sophisticated (Russian/Chinese?) air defence systems to shoot the US/Israeli airstrike down and engineer the failure of the air campaign thst way, while keeping the Straits open.
If this defence succeeded Iran's stock would go up hugely in Asia while the West would be left licking its wounds and injured ego and plain stupidity.
The Iranians (Ahmadinejad aside) are mosyly rational. It is the Israelis starting with Netanyahu (but not incliding his military advisers) who are becoming irrational through blind desperation.
Moses etc etc was NOT in the last 60 - 70 years.