Issues Under Fire: With Iran-P5+1 Talks Paused, Khamenei and Bibi Trade Shots
While the international community awaits the resumption of the Iran-P5+1 nuclear talks, Benjamin Netanyahu and Iran's Supreme Leader traded accusations and insults just to keep the temperature hot until negotiators reconvene in Vienna this week. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu started the verbal joust, calling Tehran the equivalent of Nazi Germany and warned that the Islamic Republic must be prevented from obtaining nuclear weapons at any cost.
At any cost, one can only presume, means keeping the military option front and center for all to consider all the time. Not a day has gone by lately, without the threat of unilaterally attacking Iran's nuclear facilities being openly discussed by Israeli and Congressional hawks.
"As the Nazis strived to trample civilizations and replace it with a 'master race' while destroying the jewish people, so is Iran striving to take over the region and expand further with a declared goal of destroying the Jewish state' Netanyahu said. Mr. Netanyahu made the statements as Israel marked its Holocaust memorial day. Strong stuff, but hard to prove.
Not to be out done, Iran's Supreme Leader accused the United States of creating the myth of Iran being motivated to develop nuclear weapons. Khamenei stated, "They created the myth of nuclear weapons so they could say the Islamic Republic is a source of threat. No, the source of threat is America itself, with its unrestrained destabilizing interventions." The Ayatollah leveled his charges during a televised address to hundreds of military commanders. Again, strong stuff, but in this case, it sounds plausible under the circumstances.
Due to constant threats and recommendations to take preemptive military actions in lieu of continuing negotiations, Tehran has sufficient reason to be wary of any dealing with the West. "The other side in methodically and shamelessly threatening us militarily...even if they did not make these over threats, we would have to be prepared," Khamemei said. To be prepared, one can only presume, means get the Russian S-300 missile defense system delivered and deployed ASAP.
Bottom line: Despite all the barbs and all the threats, all eyes will be focused on reaching a final deal before the next self imposed deadline. No matter how much mud is flung in the meantime, nothing will obscure the glaring issues yet to be resolved. Either the sanctions will be removed upon reaching an ironclad agreement or one of the parties will walk away.
Closing the gap between these conflicted entities will take a level of diplomatic creativity never witnessed by this observer before. Podcast Below!
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