Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday unveiled a long-range bomber drone called the Karar, designed to operate at high speed, state television reported.

State television footage showed the president applauding as a blue cloth covering the Karar (assailant) was removed to reveal a short aircraft marked “bomber jet” in military-green.

The broadcast showed the aircraft in flight, while Fars news agency quoted Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi as saying the drone had a range of up to 1,000 kilometres (620 miles).

“This jet, before it heralds death for enemies, is the messenger of salvation and dignity for humanity,” Ahmadinejad said in his speech at the unveiling in a hall at Tehran’s Malek Ashtar university.

State television said the drone was built to “carry and fire four stealth cruise missiles… and, depending on the mission, it can carry two bombs of 250 pounds (115 kilos) each or a precision missile of 500 pounds (230 kilos).”

Ahmadinejad said Iran’s defence abilities “should reach a point where we can cut off the aggressor’s arm before he acts, and if we miss, we should destroy him before he hits the target.”

“The main message of the Karar bomber is to prevent any kind of aggression and conflict” against Iran, he added.

The Karar was unveiled on Iran’s annual Defence Industry Day, and two days after the Islamic republic test-fired a domestically built surface-to-surface missile, the Qiam (rising).

Iran is expected to follow up with series of military announcements as the nation also marks “government week,” a period which Tehran uses to tout its achievements.

The country is also expected to test-fire a third generation Fateh (conquerer) 110 missile, after having already paraded a version with a range of 150 to 200 kilometres (90 to 125 miles).

The production lines of two missile-carrying speedboats, Seraj and Zolfaqar, are also due to be inaugurated.

Karar’s unveiling came days after Iran took delivery of four domestically-built Ghadi mini-submarines, a “stealth” vessel designed to operate in shallow waters such as the Gulf.

The moves coincide with Iranian warnings against any attack. Its arch-foes, the United States and Israel, have not ruled out military action over Iran’s controversial nuclear programme.

And on Saturday, Iran began to load nuclear fuel in its first nuclear power plant. The Russian-built reactor in the southern port of Bushehr, which is not targeted by UN sanctions, aims to generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity.

[Via:rawstory]

I’m sure most of us suspected that there was a “plan” for quite some time now, but apparently that is news, so here it is.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. military has a plan to attack Iran, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Sunday, although he thinks a military strike is probably a bad idea.

Not long after Adm. Mike Mullen’s aired on a Sunday talk show, the deputy chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was quoted as saying there would be a strong Iranian response should the U.S. take military action against his country.

Mullen, the highest ranking U.S. military officer, often has warned that a strike on Iran would have serious and unpredictable ripple effects around the Middle East. At the same time, Mullen said the risk of Iran’s developing a nuclear weapon is unacceptable, although he would not say which risk he thinks is worse.

More at: Yahoo

Nearly one third of the Republican congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced a resolution that would support Israel’s right to use “all means necessary to confront and eliminate nuclear threats posed by Iran”, including military force.

The resolution was introduced by Rep. Louie Gohmert [R-Texas] and 46 co-sponsors.

House Resolution 1553 “condemns the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for its threats of ‘annihilating’ the United States and the State of Israel, for its continued support of international terrorism, and for its incitement of genocide of the Israeli people.”

US House of Representatives

It “supports using all means of persuading the Government of Iran to stop building and acquiring nuclear weapons” and pledges that the U.S. will ensure that Israel “continues to receive critical economic and military assistance, including missile defense capabilities, needed to address the threat of Iran.”

In addition, it “expresses support for Israel’s right to use all means necessary to confront and eliminate nuclear threats posed by Iran, defend Israeli sovereignty, and protect the lives and safety of the Israeli people, including the use of military force if no other peaceful solution can be found within a reasonable time.”

Iran lobby alarmed
The National Iranian American Council (NIAC), a pro-Iranian lobby group, is up in arms over the proposed resolution.

“Obviously we are reaching silly season in Washington with the elections in November,” NIAC’s founder-president Trita Parsi told RN, a news venue that focuses on Russian issues. He added that “there have already been some signs that Israel is going to be a major element that some Republicans will use to get both voters as well as finance, donations to campaigns, away from the Democrats.”

However, Parsi said, “even silly season has real repercussions on the real world.” The resolution would send “a dangerous signal” to Israel, that some in congress would welcome military action by it against Iran, while the White House and U.S. military oppose such a strike, he argued.

NIAC’s website warned that the “game plan” behind HR 1553 was spelled out earlier this month by former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton in the Wall Street Journal, when he wrote: “Having visible congressional support in place at the outset [of an attack] will reassure the Israeli government, which is legitimately concerned about Mr. Obama’s likely negative reaction to such an attack.”

“The Obama Administration quietly resisted Congressional efforts to pass unilateral economic sanctions for over a year, before ultimately giving in to Congressional pressure,” NIAC wrote. “Now that ‘crippling’ sanctions have been put in place, the far-right wing and Iran-hawks have begun openly advocating for what has always been their ultimate objective: war with Iran.”

NIAC warned that an attack on Iran would ignite a regional war that would put the lives of “innocent Americans, Iranians, and Israelis” in harm’s way, as well as risking the pro-democracy movement in Iran, U.S. national security and the stability of Iraq and Afghanistan and the global economy, which relies on oil from the Persian Gulf.

NIAC denies allegations that it is used as a tool by the Iranian regime, citing its condemnations of human rights abuses in Iran.
(IsraelNationalNews.com)

Source: Israel National News

Yes, Iran needs a good old fashioned pounding, not the kind of surgical pounding the US mostly engages in, but a pounding like they used to do in the 1940′s in addition to severe surgical strikes, they need a “MAJOR ATTITUDE CHANGE”

Click for larger image

Republicans in the US House of Representatives have introduced a measure that would green-light a possible Israeli bombing campaign against Iran.

Resolution 1553 provides explicit support for military strikes against Iran, stating that Congress backs Israel’s use of ‘all means necessary’ against Iran, “including the use of military force,” BBC Persian reported.

The introduction of the measure coincides with a pattern of renewed calls for military strikes that have escalated since President Obama signed Congressional Iran sanctions into law.

Neoconservatives who were instrumental in orchestrating the Iraq War, such as Bill Kristol and Reuel Marc Gerecht, have led the stepped up calls for military action.

Hawkish former Bush administration official John Bolton recently laid out the game plan to prod Israel into attacking Iran, arguing that outsiders can “create broad support” for a strike by framing it as an issue of Israel’s right to self-defense.

Supporters for military strikes, Bolton says, should “defend the specific tactic of pre-emptive attacks” against Iran.

He said that Congress can ‘make it clear’ that it supports such strikes and that ‘having visible congressional support in place at the outset will reassure’ Israel.

In spite of support from the neocons, top US military leaders have warned of the many dangers of military strikes against Iran.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has argued “Another war in the Middle East is the last thing we need. In fact, I believe it would be disastrous on a number of levels.”

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has expressed his own serious reservations about an attack on Iran.

The US, which is already providing billions of dollars worth of arms to Israel every year, describes Tel Aviv’s military edge in the region as being in America’s interest.

Source: Press TV

The Iranian nuclear scientist who claimed to have been abducted by the CIA before departing for his homeland Wednesday was paid more than $5 million by the agency to provide intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program, U.S. officials said.

Shahram Amiri is not obligated to return the money but might be unable to access it after breaking off what U.S. officials described as significant cooperation with the CIA and abruptly returning to Iran. Officials said he might have left out of concern that the Tehran government would harm his family.

“Anything he got is now beyond his reach, thanks to the financial sanctions on Iran,” a U.S. official said. “He’s gone, but his money’s not. We have his information, and the Iranians have him.”

Amiri arrived in Tehran early Thursday to a hero’s welcome, including personal greetings from several senior government officials. His 7-year-old son broke down in tears as Amiri held him for the first time since his mysterious disappearance in Saudi Arabia 14 months ago.

Full article here

Source: Washington Post