Iran Preparing for Israeli Strike

By Joseph Farah

There are ominous signs suggesting Iran may be preparing for sanctions from the United Nations and possibly even an attack from Israel over its developing nuclear program, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

Just as the U.N. General Assembly is due to meet later this month to consider what to do about Iran's insistence on enriching uranium as part of its nuclear development program, Tehran has announced that it is open to further discussions on the issue, but it will not be pressured to meet any September deadline.

"No one can impose sanctions on Iran anymore," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at a recent press conference.

"The Iranian nation favors interaction and dialogue but will not surrender to pressure," according to Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi.

No one in authority in the West believes Iran is open to dialogue, since Iranian officials have continuously made such pronouncements in the past when backed into a corner, with the effect of causing some kind of delay in the UN sanctions process.

That may be about to change and Tehran knows it. It appears to be preparing not only for increased sanctions but the prospect that Israel may wait a few months, declare that the diplomatic course isn't working and carry out what it has been threatening for months – attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities.

The Israelis, however, realize that it probably could not undertake such an attack without U.S. help to gain access across other countries to carry out such a strike. It does have the option – through its recently dispatched submarines – of launching ballistic missiles which could obviate the need for country clearances for aircraft bombing runs.

While the Obama administration has requested no surprises from the Israelis, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden in July gave what amounted to tacit approval to such an attack.

He said that the U.S. would not stand in the way of Israel's efforts to defend itself.

Seeing these prospects, Iran may be gearing up to any Israeli attack.

Tehran has just appointed a known terrorist as its next defense minister. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi is a brigadier general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, or IRGC, and has been in charge of defense procurement and Iran's missile program. He also is very much involved in Iran's nuclear bomb project that western intelligence services say Iran is pursuing.

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