Iran’s military budget grew nearly 40 percent. The dictatorship used the funds to build nuclear-capable missiles, increase internal repression, finance terrorism, and fund havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen.

By now practically every word the US government and its lackeys say is nothing but a direct projection of its own actions onto specially designated "enemies". That's the one and only rationale for US hostility toward Iran, Russia, North Korea, none of which have done anything against any real US interest, and from any rational point of view wouldn't be enemies at all.

Posted by: Russ | Sep 26 2018 14:21 utc | 1

Trumps noise about Iran also stems from his obsessive hatred of Obama. Classy people who look[ed] down on Trump respect[ed] Obama, and Trump resents that. Obama cut a deal with Iran, so Trump is compelled to undo it.

I'm not a vanilla US Liberal, wasting all my time obsessing about everything Trump tweets. He's not the worst force in US politics; the GOP is. But please don't pretend that Trump is Our Savior.

And I wouldn't be surprised to find that Trump isn't aware of "details" like Mattis pulling Patriot batteries out of Gulf countries not named "Saudi Arabia".

Posted by: elkern | Sep 26 2018 14:22 utc | 2

Here is an article that looks at one of the greatest ironies about Iran and Israel:

https://viableopposition.blogspot.ca/2018/05/israel-and-nuclear-double-standard-part.html

And yet, given this duplicitous behavior, Washington continues to vilify Iran and favour Israel.

Posted by: Sally Snyder | Sep 26 2018 14:39 utc | 3

Medea Benjamin Shows America What Anti-war Activism Looks Like

A think tank is an organization wherein highly-paid academics pour their collective brainpower into coming up with convincing arguments that it would be good and smart to do something evil and stupid. At one such think tank, the Hudson Institute, former John Bolton advisor and current Mike Pompeo lackey Brian Hook had his neocon cuddle party interrupted by CodePink activist Medea Benjamin Wednesday morning. Benjamin excoriated the Director of Policy Planning for Pompeo’s Iran Action Team, decrying the Trump administration’s crippling sanctions following its withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

This is what it takes. But this is all it takes. Interrupt our regularly scheduled programming with a burst of truth and humanity will inevitably rouse a few more from their hypnosis, and a few more awake is a few more towards tipping point. While Democrats are holding demonstrations in support of longstanding neocon agendas against Russia and leftists are gathering to punch racist nobodies in the face, this feisty little sheila threw her body into the bright lights of the brainwashing machine and jammed it right up until they had to physically remove her.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Sep 26 2018 14:59 utc | 4

Wasn't Europe supposed to be so terrified of Iranian missiles that NATO had to station anti-missile stuff in Romania and Poland?

Posted by: dh | Sep 26 2018 14:59 utc | 5

As always, thanks b, and the MoA community, for a rational site..

And again, as always, the Trump regime's breathtaking HYPOCRISY, in every statement emanating from Washington and the UNSC...

Posted by: ben | Sep 26 2018 15:16 utc | 6

"Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is pulling four Patriot missile systems out of Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain next month in a realignment of forces and capabilities..."

As far as I can see, pulling Patriot systems out or moving them in would make virtually no difference to the strength of a defence. They can't hit anything anyway, and seem purely ornamental.

Posted by: Tom Welsh | Sep 26 2018 15:25 utc | 7

thanks b...you're highlighting the hypocrisy again, lol... ditto @5 ben!

lets look at what countries have been firing missiles lately..israel, usa, uk, and france on syria.. it's called projection, when you project onto others what you are guilty of yourself.. same deal nuclear weapons.. who has used them?? we know the answer... the same country that is ranting 24/7 in a bellicose manner.. the irony isn't lost on most people... the usa is a pariah state.. the world is still catching up to it, in particular, the political class..

Posted by: james | Sep 26 2018 15:33 utc | 8

Midterm elections in US and Iran sanction deadline fast approaching and US removes patriot missile systems... seems like the oil monarchies are being set up as live bait. Global energy dominance and destruction of Israel's enemies are Trump's main foreign policy objectives.

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Sep 26 2018 15:58 utc | 9

> Trump’s Iran envoy blasts Tehran missile work

CONFIRMED! Trump's envoy in Iran is terrorist!

More crusty headlines tomorrow.

Posted by: Arioch | Sep 26 2018 16:00 utc | 10

Not sure how meaningful this 'gotcha!' really is.

Why provide missile defense when you can sell missile systems instead?

August 2015: U.S. greenlights sale of 600 Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia

October 2017: US approves $15 billion sale of [THAAD] advanced missile defense system to Saudi Arabia

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Sep 26 2018 16:02 utc | 11

If a nation breaks/is in violation of a UNSC Resolution, why is it then allowed to chair the UNSC? Shouldn't its actions preclude it from being granted that privilege? Same question goes for breaking the UN Charter while addressing the UNGA as Trump did both last year and this? IMO, the UN needs to make rules that punish bully nations like the Outlaw US Empire.

As for Iranian missiles being incapable of destroying infrastructure being targeted, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near it when it explodes. Sure, they may not penetrate hardened targets, but much of what Iran would attack in Saudi for example is soft and fragile.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 26 2018 16:04 utc | 12

Reply @2 elkhern The idea that the GOP is the worst force in politics is ridiculous. Trump is awful and a war criminal but at least he has only continued the Bush Obama wars and hasn't started any new ones yet. Hopefully the Iran talk is bluster. The DNC is a bunch of liars and war criminals just like the GOP. They all deserve to burn in hell.

Posted by: goldhoarder | Sep 26 2018 16:12 utc | 13

US may have decided it needs some air defenses fast for its bases in Syria..

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Sep 26 2018 16:34 utc | 14

goldhoarder @11--

I suggest you look closer at your allegation that Trump hasn't started any new wars--the biggest one would be his massive Trade War against most of the planet's nations and the massive escalation in the Hybrid Third World War targeting Russia, Venezuela, Myanmar, Qatar, Nicaragua, while sheparding Daesh to Afghanistan and elsewhere to keep it alive for future use. Trump's MAGA is just his version of the Outlaw US Empire's primary policy goal of attaining Full Spectrum Dominance as proven by recent policy publications and Congressional testimony which I've provided to this forum.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 26 2018 16:53 utc | 15

Jackrabbit #4 - Thanks for posting that. Medea Benjamin is a force of nature to be reckoned with. May she have a long and productive life challenging the warmongers and hypocrites.

Posted by: John Zelnicker | Sep 26 2018 17:13 utc | 16

Same day (or hours earlier) local Greek news get flooded with "Conditions in island shelters for refugees are degrading badly", Ministry of Defence that has part of the oversight of the (veiled Takfiris in the camps)had been missmanaging funds and treats them badly, (European commisions said they did not discover any missmanagement) Greek gov decides to move some 1500 around, but not untill for another week. Public transport along Lemnos, Kavala, Thessaloniki harbors and main metro arteries get flooded unexpectedly with Pakistani/Afghan looking males ages around 20 to 30, extremely sun tanned. usualy solitary, one by one or 2 each company, with small bags and almost all of them with head caps. It is evident some group has been moved around for some purpose.

Posted by: Greece | Sep 26 2018 18:11 utc | 17

OT-FYI--

In case you've wondered what's happened to asiatimesonline, here's the answer: CIA using "a group of American financiers" as cover has taken over, which is why the editorial and reportage focus has so visibly changed. Pepe Escobar's work still appears, but those items deemed "wrong" are now being published at Consortium News. I've long wanted him to have his own website, maybe this event will now move him to do so.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 26 2018 18:56 utc | 18

"........The Trump administration knows well that Iran's missile capabilities are no threat at all. Iran's best defense capabilities are its location next to a major hydrocarbon transport route, the Strait of Hormuz, and its ability to respond asymmetrically through proxy-forces........"

The current threat from Iran, indeed, does come mainly from their arming of their proxies. The Houthis did not develop ballistic missile technology on their own, but have been supplied by Iran. The Houthis have been firing missiles at Saudi Arabia which is why the Patriot missiles will remain in Saudi Arabia. The (current) threat to Israel comes primarily from Iran transferring their missile technology to Hezbollah - a US recognized terrorist organization - and using the "forward bases" to launch ballistic missiles in any confrontation with Israel.

This is the main reason that Israel has been flying hundreds of sorties in Syria. I suspect that the same deconfliction rules will still apply in Syria between Russia and Israel with Russia having the final say on approving the targets (with much more than a minute warning!). Finally, Iran's ballistic missile development is a long term threat to Israel - and surrounding countries.

Posted by: craigsummers | Sep 26 2018 20:02 utc | 19

11 & 13 -

Don't forget trump's war against the environment, public education, the 99%, public assistance, unions...you get the idea.

Posted by: Bart Hansen | Sep 26 2018 20:07 utc | 20

@17 karlof1.. thanks.. that is informative..

Posted by: james | Sep 26 2018 20:11 utc | 21

@dh 5

If my memory is reliable, Romania hosts Aegis Onshore - more or less the same equipment found on USN ships. I think Japan is interested in this too. Also, the Mk.41 VLS universal launch canister is installed there and can also launch nuclear armed cruise missiles... across the Black Sea at short notice, so quite a strategic threat. How is Russia to tell? I Ro is more than happy to be a prime radioactive glass real estate.

Posted by: et Al | Sep 26 2018 20:47 utc | 22

@ karlof1

Yes, it would be great if Pepe set up his own site. I feel he has been constrained at Asia Times and has to keep mentioning China and the One Belt One Road. His voice has been a bit muted for a while now, but maybe that's just me. Let's hope he reads your suggestion (I know he looks at this site) and acts on it.

Posted by: Lochearn | Sep 26 2018 21:57 utc | 23

Iran has created enormous quantities of radioactive waste (depleted uranium) from its enrichment activities over the years. This has been used to build uranium warheads of the same type that Israel used in August 2006 against southern Lebanon. (The radioactivity left by the use of these missiles was confirmed my the United Nations Environment Program.) The uranium is radioactive for 2.2 billion years with a half life of 4.5 billion years.

A one-ton bunker buster warhead burns at up to 6,000° C. and turns into roughly one ton of radioactive powder, ceramic-like (virtually indestructible), most of it microscopic. It can -- and does -- infiltrate the water table and all vegetation, not to mention the air and the constant low-level internal sources of radiation in the human body it produces when it is inhaled and deposited in the lungs.

If missiles with such warheads were fired on Israel, it would result in permanent contamination.

Thus, any attack on Iran would have to be colossal in order to destroy within as short a time as possible all known and suspected missile silos -- a veritable blitz attack. Israel does not have the planes and bombs to do this, but with United States support, this would be possible. However, in my humble opinion as a researcher and analyst in this area, it is highly unlikely that such a blitz would manage to hit everything and highly likely that some Iranian missiles would get through.

The only questions are what missiles Iran has and how many. I reckon that Iran has enough to do quite a bit of damage to the Zionist entity. Those betting on a blitz that will completely neutralize this force are probably as deluded by their own lies and hubris as those who predicted a "cakewalk" into Iraq in 2003. Given the Zionist entity's small territory, even a small number of such hits would be terrible for the Zionists.

Bolton's threats today are ominous. He is drunk on power and wields a huge influence over Drumpf, and he is backed by a huge cohort of war mongers in the Pentagon, in the intelligence services and in the armaments industry, these last lusting after another oppotunity to test their newest products and thus inflate their prices by being able to affix to them them designation "battle tested".

The recent decision (ignored by the mainstream media) by the European Union and Russia to set up, in keeping with the nuclear agreement with Iran, a "financial vehicle" through which trade can be carried on with Iran outside the dollar zone thus outside the purview of the United States' sanctions, may well be the crossing of a red line.

One of the major reasons deciding that the time had come for a move against Iraq and Libya was each's intention to challenge the United States dollar's hegemony. Iraq was already selling oil that was not denominated in dollars (even as the sanctions regime was coming undone), and Libya was preparing to set up a pan-African development bank that would have pushed out of Africa the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (both run, de facto, by the United States from Washington), all backed by a new pan-African currency. Backed by the 144 tons of Libya's gold (which has disappeared), it would have rivaled the Swiss franc in stability and rapidly gained major international status as a trading and settlemet currency, to the great detriment of the United States dollar.

Posted by: RJPJR | Sep 26 2018 23:00 utc | 24

POST SCRIPTVM

If such a blitz attack is in the offing, then there is no longer any need for missile defenses in Jordan, Bahrein and Kuweit since -- the Cakewalkers apparently assume -- the intensity of the attack would mean that nothing from Iran will get out of the country, thus, in short order, there will be nothing left in Iran to defend against any more.

The United States military has gone to great lengths to hide the danger of radioactive contamination from its use of uranium and depleted uranium weapons. Statements from the Pentagon indicate that they believe their own lies. (General Shalikashvili told me that depleted uranium is so harmless that we could put it on our ice cream and eat it -- and he sounded dead serious.) Thus, Bolton's announcement at the MeK conference at the end of last year that he and they will be in Teheran in 2019 to take over running the country likely does not take into account the contamination to be visited upon the country from the blitz, which will surely be carreid out using bunker busters, even the twenty-ton variety.

Posted by: RJPJR | Sep 26 2018 23:17 utc | 25

RJPJR @22--

I rather doubt Iran would use depleted uranium for the same reason it declines to produce a nuclear weapon--its use is immoral. That's something Outlaw US Empire folk just can't comprehend.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 26 2018 23:18 utc | 26

Explain then, please, what has happened to the nuclear waste. Every "expert" (some of them really experts) to whom I have put the question over the years, has had no answer. Nobody seems to be thinking about it, except those who are planning the attack.

Posted by: RJPJR | Sep 26 2018 23:27 utc | 27

RJPJR @25--

The Outlaw US Empire and NATO both utilize depleted uranium weapons--all of which must be considered chemical weapons since they discharge uranium oxide gas upon detonation which is highly toxic and a carcinogen. I don't specifically know what Iran's doing with its spent fuel, although I believe it's sent to Russia for reprocessing. The IAEA certainly knows.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 26 2018 23:48 utc | 28

@17 good to know, but honestly having been visiting the site not to frequently for years, it is glaringly obvious that they recently started towing a certain line.

Posted by: pB | Sep 27 2018 0:27 utc | 29

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium

soft propaganda from wikipedia.. take it with a grain of salt..

i think the biggest question that has to be asked is why is iran being demonized 24/7 by the usa and israel in particular? why is that?? they claim all sorts of bullshit reasons why, but none of them fly past my s-300 bullshit radar... i get it these 2 countries are warmongering countries personified... i suppose that is all one needs to know..

Posted by: james | Sep 27 2018 1:43 utc | 30

@ james who wrote: "i think the biggest question that has to be asked is why is iran being demonized 24/7 by the usa and israel in particular? why is that?? they claim all sorts of bullshit reasons why, but none of them fly past my s-300 bullshit radar... "

I don't even have to go the depleted uranium site you linked to know that the US is the biggest abuser of the substance by far but we have a commenter here that seems focused on what Iran may have doe with the paucity of it they may have produced, with no context in relation to empire amounts.

And then lets talk about cluster bombs which empire produces and uses as the war criminals they pretend not to be. I believe that I ran has signed the UN agreement about cluster bombs but the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia have not.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Sep 27 2018 2:21 utc | 31

Off Topic:

update on the 9/11 Lawyers’ Committee Grand Jury Petition update:

https://youtu.be/dZsLYoyQAR4

Posted by: benny | Sep 27 2018 2:35 utc | 32

@17 karlof1

No wonder. It's time to focus more on consortium news...

Posted by: Face The Fact | Sep 27 2018 2:46 utc | 33

I believe that, actually, the enriched depleted uranium used in "DU" used in "anti-tank" shells is just about as enriched as the uranium-235 used in typical atom bombs. Think. They tell us the shells penetrate tanks, and the uranium then burns up, incinerating the interior. OK -- how much oxygen is contained inside a tank? Not much. Not enough.

Has anyone here actually tested one of these so-called "depleted" uranium shells? I think they are composed of bomb-grade U-235, and they produce small nuclear blasts when they strike solid objects.

Posted by: blues | Sep 27 2018 3:11 utc | 34

@26 karlof1

I just wanted to offer support for your advocacy of a point of view that your correspondent seems to want to argue against.

psychohistorian @29 says it too, that if you want to point the finger at depleted uranium - and evil of all kinds, why not? - then you'd better start with the US.

Posted by: Grieved | Sep 27 2018 3:16 utc | 35

@32 Blues

Nope.
It's called abrasive wear which causes degradation of the penetrator during impact and penetration.
This wear (up to 70% of the penetrator's mass) yields a cloud of micro- to nano-crystalline metal particles that are pyrophoric. Impact temperatures may reach up to 5000° centigrade which means that that 'metallic' cloud burns up instantly creating an ultra hot fireball.

That leaves us with how much oxygen for combustion is available in a tank? Well, I don't know but think ~3 cubic meters of air is a fair bet (that represents a tiny cube with 1.44 m lateral length). If so, then 3 m³ of standard air contain about 0.81 kg of oxygen (~ 25 mol O2).
If we further assume all O2 is to be consumed by the DU particles forming UO2 (not necessarily only UO2 but lets stick to this compound for arguments sake) then 25 mols of O2 (in a tank with 3 m³ air space) are sufficient for combustion of close to 6 kg of U.

Fission reaction during impact and penetration? No, impossible even with high grade U235.

Posted by: Hmpf | Sep 27 2018 4:05 utc | 36

NO. It's not just for show. Trump tore up the Iran deal, he's imposing severe sanctions on Iran trying to cripple Iran's economy after Iran barely survived the sanctions prior to the deal, and there are psy-ops operations and meddling on the ground happening to turn the Iranian people against their government. This isn't just lip service he's paying those Saudi and Zionist goons and criminals; these are provocative reasons for inciting war.

Trump is after Iran and Venezuela, not coincidentally major energy producers; he could care less about the Venezuelan and Iranian people he claims to care about and he said categorically -- ALL OPTIONS ARE ON THE TABLE with these two. North Korea that actually has nukes he doesn't give a shet about; he's ready to kiss Kim on both cheeks to get a Nobel prize like his nemesis Obama -- so,NK -- now THAT'S all show, but Iran and Venezuela, not so much. He's making hostile moves like the Zionist thug he really is.

Posted by: Circe | Sep 27 2018 4:08 utc | 37

@29 psychohistorian... no, you don't need to go to that site because you in fact do know!!

how about this angle?

according to international law, which country is in syria legally and which one illegally?

it is a simple question with a simple answer.. many people appear to be ignorant on what international law means!!!

well, when you are an exceptional nation, the international laws aren't supposed to apply..

in fact - the basic concept of lying isn't supposed to apply either when you are an exceptional nation.. lying is a given!!!

this reality can't last...

Posted by: james | Sep 27 2018 4:23 utc | 38

"US B-52s fly near contested islands amid China tensions."

There you have it: Bolton and Pompeo, Mattis and Haley,
Four Horsemen of the New American Century Apocalypse.
Pence as Succoth of soon-to-be-radioactive Great Shaytan.

They done piled up the Debt and Deficit and Burn Rate.
They have Real Time AI Big Data monitors. It's so over.

Bombing recommences at 09:30 Tehran local time, 05/11.

Posted by: Anton Worter | Sep 27 2018 5:41 utc | 39

Anton worter 37

Ever heard of Pete 'war is evitable' Nawarro ?

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/02/peter-navarro-trump-trade-china-214772

Posted by: denk | Sep 27 2018 8:23 utc | 40

war is inevitable

Posted by: denk | Sep 27 2018 8:33 utc | 41

karlof1 @17:

Thanks for the info. Do you know who were the previous owners of asiatimesonline?

Posted by: Ian | Sep 27 2018 9:11 utc | 42

It looks like the war in Syria is about over. Warmongering at Iran is smoke and mirrors act. Pres. Trump is not foolish. he wants peace in the Middle East and he will get it , regardless what Israel wants. It seems that Israel has become the # 1 enemy of the civilized world and will have to learn how to be humble or PERISH.

Posted by: Friar Ockham | Sep 27 2018 15:53 utc | 43

Ian @40--

No, I don't; but from its previous content and location, I presume a collection of Hong Kong based business types having a somewhat mild anti-PRC bias, particularly prior to HK's reunification and subsequent success of the One China, Two Systems policy.

james @28--

I wrote an answer to your question: Why Iran, but it appears it was eaten by The Cloud. I'll try to reassemble it as follows:

Along with the reasons for the 1953 coup, and as with Korea and Vietnam before it, Iran presents what Chomsky called the Threat of a Good Example quite different from the Outlaw US Empire dominated System through Iran's development and deployment of an Islamic Socialist System that's in fact democratic and quite responsive to Iran's citizens instead of International Finance. Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed recently wrote an item "US military document reveals how the West opposed a democratic Syria" published by Le Monde diplomatique (linking to it may be the reason it was eaten, so I'll provide another route to the article) showing Iran was always the goal, not Syria, which demonstrates the depth of planning done that Russia's intervention destroyed. Take note of what BigLie Media and its governmental stooges target about Iran--its governmental system and its economy, which includes its nuclear and defense industries. Both are highly resilient and have worked well despite almost 40 years of strangulation sanctions. (Imagine how dynamic the Iranian Islamic Republic would be if it was allowed to freely develop.) Its Islamic model would be hailed and emulated throughout the Umma, and such an example the Outlaw US Empire cannot allow to exist.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 27 2018 17:36 utc | 44

@45 karlof1... thanks.. i am sorry it got lost in the shuffle.. it is a drag when that happens!

chomskys idea makes sense... i think it was wesley clark that said the us had in mind regime change for something like 7 countries, with iran being one of them.. i think it was the last one as it was the most challenging one to overthrow.. it is interesting what wikileaks revealed on the topic of syria and the position of some in the usa circa 2011.. makes sense.. they decided to throw a lot of money at it in the hopes of greater success somewhere along the line.. it is really crazy the whole b.s. line about iran that is being constantly cultivated by the usa-media-trump and etc.. it is as bad as the get russia routine..the usa-israel are a couple of crazed and antisocial countries on the world stage.. that much is very apparent..

Posted by: james | Sep 27 2018 22:07 utc | 45

=>> Hmpf | Sep 27, 2018 12:05:18 AM | 37

"Fission reaction during impact and penetration? No, impossible even with high grade U235."

Of course this is possible.

Look:

IT HAS NOT BEEN ONLY JUST 1,000 enriched uranium bombshells that have exploded in the Middle East! It has been more like 100,000+++. BUT THERE HAVE NEVER THAT MANY TANKS!!! These nuclear bombs explode when they hit boulders and buildings too. And that is where 99% of the 100,000+++ have detonated.

So... Why did these nuclear bombs continue to be used after all of the tanks had been exploded?

Posted by: blues | Sep 28 2018 0:17 utc | 46

Hey, here's an idea! Why don't you groupies
start your own website Sycophants 4 Pepe and
be off! The guy's nothing but a NWO spokesman
for Putin the Henchman.

Posted by: Treason season | Oct 10 2018 9:53 utc | 47