Reply #21: Some other pieces to this story - Israel's saber rattling and Iran's new pipeline deal

[Dover]

Israel Threatening Military Strikes on Iran

JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli official said Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to persuade his Cabinet to authorize a military strike against Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program — a discussion that comes as Israel successfully tests a missile believed capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to Iran.

It remained unclear whether Israel was genuinely poised to strike or if it was saber-rattling to prod the international community into taking a tougher line on Iran. Israeli leaders have long hinted at a military option, but they always seemed mindful of the practical difficulties, the likelihood of a furious counterstrike and the risk of regional mayhem.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_19246473

With Iran's defensive partner Syria currently preoccupied with its own survival, perhaps Israel is seeing the potential for a successful attack heightened.
Iran and Syria have an agreement to provide mutual defensive assistance.

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And this pipeline deal Iran has with Iraq and Syria that directly competes with the West's own pipeline deal
may also be playing into this:


Iraq and Iran are moving closer, having recently signed an agreement to develop and build a $10 billion “Islamic Gas Pipeline” to move natural gas from Iran to Europe. The pipeline will be thousands of miles long, extending from Iran’s South Pars oil and gas field through Iran, Iraq and Syria, and eventually ending up at a port in Lebanon, where it can be shipped. At the same time, trade between the two countries is booming. Currently its about $6 billion a year. Iran expects it to soon reach $10 billion annually.


http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2011/... /

http://pipelinesinternational.com/news/iran_iraq_and_sy... /