Obama: "I'm ready to negotiate with you, Iran." Iran: "Fuck you."

[classicman]

We only know that Iran is reportedly truly concerned about this one.

FTFY ... we'll see.

[Lamplighter]

We'll see...

Maybe we are already seeing....

Bloomberg
January 06, 2012, 4:46 AM EST

Iran Central Bank Moves to Rescue Rial as Allies Tighten Net

Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Iran’s central bank moved to avert a slide in the value of the rial
as the U.S. and allies prepared for further sanctions that may include an oil embargo.<snip>

Today, foreign-currency traders in Tehran were ignoring instructions issued yesterday
by the central bank for them to sell the dollar at the rate of 14,000 rials, Fars said.
They refused to trade at that rate or were only using the rate of 16,000 rials, Fars said.
Directors of Iran’s banks were asked to meet central bank Governor Mahmoud Bahmani
today to address the rial’s volatility. The bank will host a meeting of economists on Jan. 9
to discuss management of the exchange rate, Fars said.

The currency has plunged because “Iranians are seeking safer havens in internationally traded currencies
and gold as the country faces the prospect of dealing with tougher international sanctions,”
said Jarmo Kotilaine, chief economist at National Commercial Bank in Saudi Arabia.<snip>

Iran’s inflation rate has surged as the government removed subsidies on staple goods.
It may reach 22 percent by the end of the current calendar year in March,
Deputy Economy Minister Mohammad-Reza Farzin said last month.
“Inflation is a big problem as it is, and a devaluation would obviously
fuel imported inflation even further,” Kotilaine said. <snip>

Shipping
Iran has warned it may halt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz,
the passageway for about a third of the world’s seaborne-traded crude,
in response to curbs on its oil sales.

That’s probably “a bluff,” Paul Sullivan, a political scientist specializing in Middle East security
at Georgetown University in Washington, said in an e-mailed response to questions.
“They would strangle their economy and Iraq’s, their ally.
It could also be seen as an act of war.”

The U.K. would be willing to join a military action aimed at keeping the strait open,
Defense Secretary Philip Hammond will say in a speech in Washington today,
according to extracts released by his office.

[TheMercenary]

Well this is a start, EU to impose oil embargo.

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn....n-oil-embargo/

[Undertoad]

Soft power is looking good so far.

(Backed up by hard power, carrier to Arabian Sea.)

[glatt]

I hope the carrier group missile defense systems are up to snuff.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by glatt

I hope the carrier group missile defense systems are up to snuff.

That continues to worry me. The Chinese and Iran have close ties.

http://the-diplomat.com/china-power/...arrier-killer/

I think they should send another carrier group in addition to the one already in the area, just as back up.

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

That continues to worry me. The Chinese and Iran have close ties.

http://the-diplomat.com/china-power/...arrier-killer/

I think they should send another carrier group in addition to the one already in the area, just as back up.

That would be extremely bold of China plus I don't think it is in their best interest. I understand the importance of Iranian gas and oil to China, which explains most of their actions, but I really doubt they would arm Iran with something so powerful because of the repercussions.

Basically, if Iran did use one of those on a US aircraft carrier, it is all-out-war and Iran would lose. Hard. If that happens then no one is getting Iranian gas and oil. China's "loyalty" to Iran is based on Iran's natural resources, not anti-western worldview.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

That would be extremely bold of China plus I don't think it is in their best interest. I understand the importance of Iranian gas and oil to China, which explains most of their actions, but I really doubt they would arm Iran with something so powerful because of the repercussions.

Basically, if Iran did use one of those on a US aircraft carrier, it is all-out-war and Iran would lose. Hard. If that happens then no one is getting Iranian gas and oil. China's "loyalty" to Iran is based on Iran's natural resources, not anti-western worldview.

They don't need to actually provide the missile, just the technology as they have done so with the info from Khan and the North Koreans in their nuke program.

Iran has very little ability to produce gas. Hit their refineries and the country would come to a halt in a matter of days.

There continues to be a huge disconnect between Iran's civilian power, military power, and the ruling clerics. That is why it is unstable, unpredictable, and dangerous in it's current form.

[classicman]

I think they should send another carrier group in addition to the one already in the area, just as back up.

already on their way, I would suspect.

[Undertoad]

Soft power turns out useful -- especially to one Iranian fishing boat taken over by pirates.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/06/wo...s-navy-rescue/

[Big Sarge]

Jumping late in this thread, but I say hit Iran and enable a revolution. Also I would seize oil assets to pay for recent war ependitures. Iran is a major supplier of IED technology, components, and training even to Sunnis.

[piercehawkeye45]

What if the post-revolution Iranian government is worse than the current? How would the Iranian population react to the US taking over oil assets? How would the world react?

[it]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

What if the post-revolution Iranian government is worse than the current? How would the Iranian population react to the US taking over oil assets? How would the world react?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_peace_theory

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by traceur

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_peace_theory

So you are assuming that if take out Iran's current regime that it will become a true democratic country? Given the history of western intervention in Iran that is a small to none probability. What is more likely to happen is that rouge Revolutionary Guard soldiers will step up terrorism in the region and on the west if we intervene and the population will get behind an even more extreme government.

Unless you want to go trillions of dollars even more in debt and invade Iran, facing even more resistance than Iraq or Afghanistan on a endeavor that is certain to fail. Sounds like a cakewalk

Originally Posted by Big Sarge

Sometimes I feel like we should act like the super power we are. Let's at least invade Canada

Agreed.

[it]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

So you are assuming that if take out Iran's current regime that it will become a true democratic country? Given the history of western intervention in Iran that is a small to none probability. What is more likely to happen is that rouge Revolutionary Guard soldiers will step up terrorism in the region and on the west if we intervene and the population will get behind an even more extreme government.

Unless you want to go trillions of dollars even more in debt and invade Iran, facing even more resistance than Iraq or Afghanistan on a endeavor that is certain to fail. Sounds like a cakewalk

take out? i thought you where talking about an internal revolution. my guess is that right now the oposition in iran is a democratic one, one that is pissed at what happened at the last "elections" and got disilusioned.

actually taking down the trade sunctions is likely going to make it much harder for the iranian government to control its people, including everything from information access to home made firepower. that's the best western intervention i think the US can do.