Israeli Minister Asks Nations to Say Iran Talks Have Failed

[yeats]

Amid intensifying Israeli news reports saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is close to ordering a military strike against Iran’s nuclear program, his deputy foreign minister called Sunday for an international declaration that the diplomatic effort to halt Tehran’s enrichment of uranium is dead

Comments

[pluckedflowers]

I don't know what to expect. On the one hand, it wouldn't be the first unconscionable war of aggression waged by the US or Israel. On the other, we've been hearing stories about an inevitable upcoming attack on Iran for so many years. And given the chaos surrounding Syria right now, with China and Russia having made it pretty clear that they're not interested in allowing the US to help itself to yet another client state in Syria, I'm not sure they're really interested in taking the risks an attack would bring.

[brother_dour]

I don't think Russia or China would do anything, actually. Russia is still a bit too economically shaky to risk a major conflict with -anyone-, and the U.S. could probably keep China out in every meaningful way by freezing economic ties (which would hurt the U.S. A LOT as well, but...it is an option).

What worries me about Iran having nukes is that then the two most likely nations to actually use them against their enemies in the Middle East probably WILL use them...and those two nations just happen to BE enemies

[lonely_hour]

i don't think Iran having nukes should worry you too terribly...not more than the actual existence of nuclear weapons in the first place, in humans hands.
I mean, wasn't this the fear in the cold war? Does everyone *actually* have a deathwish if their position was founded on survival?
There are also arabs in Israel, and then there is also Palestine.

[tabaqui]

What the fuck. Beating the war drum - just what the world needs. Jayzus.

[brother_dour]

Yeah they're getting a little button-happy over there aren't they?

[tabaqui]

Seriously, just wtf. Do they *really* want to go to war? I know they've got a hella military, but really? War? For fuck's sake.

[jenny_jenkins]

I know they've got a hella military

The head of Shin-bet (retired) has coined a phrase: he calls Israel "the military with a country" (rather than the other way around: "A country with a military").

I've lived in Israel (twice, the second time for 3 years) and know what he means. When you are a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail.

As for these rumours: pluckedflowers notes above^^ this is a constant discussion. The discourse around war in Israel is incredibly open and desensitized. That was even the case in the late '90s.

Long way of saying: who knows?

Another point: Iran has always been two years away from a nuclear weapon...since the '80s.

[atomic_joe2]

Any attack would have to include the use of tactical nuclear weapons on some level, whether to get to the underground labs or to obliterate them once they have been opened up by conventional means.

Either way the moment that happens we're all fucked.