Chess or Poker?
Two sides of the same coin, the coin being Iran:
BRUSSELS — European Union nations threw their diplomatic weight behind the unraveling Iran nuclear deal on Monday, trying to rescue the pact from collapsing under U.S. pressure.
The 28 EU foreign ministers insisted that recent Iranian actions surpassing uranium enrichment thresholds set by the 2015 deal did not necessarily condemn the whole agreement.
“We note that technically all the steps that have been taken — and that we regret have been taken — are reversible. So we hope and we invite Iran to reverse the steps,” said EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.
“The deviations are not significant enough to think that Iran has definitively broken the agreement,” said Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, who is in line to succeed Mogherini this fall. – Article
Note that while Iran is still an estimated year away from the development of a nuclear weapon, which requires a higher enrichment level to work, the level that Iran had agreed to (3.67%) has been passed and is now at 4.5%, hence Pres. Trump’s economic sanctions against Iran. They broke the deal.
The Syrian regime is a recipient of Iranian crude oil. An Iranian tanker delivering crude oil to Syria was stopped by the UK near Gibraltar earlier this month: https://www.foxnews.com/world/britain-seizes-iranian-tanker-syria-tehran-summons-ambassador-seizure
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi wrote in a tweet that British Ambassador Rob Macaire was summoned over the “illegal interception” of the ship and later said that the seizure was “odd and destructive.” – Article.
Earlier last week, a British-flagged oil tanker stopped in the Strait of Hormuz to adjust its ETA to Saudi Arabia, and was thought to have been seized by Iran. https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/british-flagged-oil-tanker-stopped-off-iranian-coast/
This concern was generated by this twitterpating from Mohsen Rezai, a senior commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards when he said on Twitter: “If the UK doesn’t return the Iranian tanker, the duty of responsible bodies is to seize a British oil tanker in a retaliatory measure.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador to voice ‘its very strong objection to the illegal and unacceptable seizure’ of its ship earlier in the week. – Article
Meantime, a UAE tanker seems to have turned off its transponder after drifting into Iranian waters while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. https://www.foxnews.com/world/uae-oil-tanker-strait-of-hormuz-iran-waters
However, something happened to the vessel after 11 p.m. on Saturday when it stopped transmitting its location with tracking data that shows its last position pointing toward Iran.
Capt. Ranjith Raja of the data firm Refinitiv told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the tanker hadn’t switched off its tracking in three months of trips around the UAE.
“That is a red flag,” Raja said. – Article
Is Iran playing cat-and-mouse? Sure. The economic sanctions against them are there because the moment Iran thought Trump’s back was turned, Iran poked him.
Calling Trump’s bluff? These people have never heard of the corbomite maneuver.
Category: International Affairs, Iran
Poker.
Dear Iran,
Never bluff what you’re not willing to lose.
Sometimes it seems more like a somewhat haphazard game of Jenga…
A few days ago the mad Mullah got his beard pulled, too. A few gunboats of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attempted to force a British oil tanker into Iranian waters in the Straights of Hormuz. They were chased off by HMS Montrose, a UK Royal Navy frigate.
The IRGC then claimed they had no intention of hijacking the tanker as a face-saving gambit. This is indicative of Trump’s sanctions at work, and the shallowness of Iran’s military forces.
The mad Mullah later made an offer to restart talks with the US, after the sanctions are lifted, of course. The sanctions are working as intended.
Call or raise coming up?
There’s a lot of parading going on here and there. More on that coming up.
The 2015 “deal” was the Obama admin’s doing. I’m wondering if they’re trying to get splodey parts for a nuke test weapon from the Norks.
Iranians were present when the North Koreans tested their nuclear weapons.
Another piece, North Koreans were also present when Israel took out the Syrian reactor at the Al-Kibar military facility.
Hmmmm… worth looking into further, don’t you think?
Now, now, now, everyone knows that the peace loving people’s leader of Iran is only enriching uranium for the peaceful purpose of generating electricity. The Great Satan, aided by the Infidelic Crusading Colonistic Empire of Great Britain is trying to destroy the peace loving people of Iran. They only want cheap ‘lectricity to keep their cell phones charged and so they can watch re-runs of Gilligans Island on satellite tv.
Their great debate is still, Gilligan or The Perfessor for man love Thursdays. This enriching of uranium and the purchase of rocket technology from the NKs or the PRC has NOTHING to do with the desire to launch nuclear missiles at the Zionist State, or to impede the free transit of oil.
BTW…It’s Mary Ann by a landslide. She can cook!
Trump bad cop. Europe wussies good cop. The Eye-ranians and the wussies still don’t realize who’s wearing the US badge.
Brussels sprouts the news of the European Union Nations on the iranian problem/s
Ouch! Bad pun! Bad Jeff!!! Bad, bad, bad Jeff!!!
No franks and beans for you!
Iran won’t be happy until they get a war. Which the globalists like because it looks bad for Trump and it’s good for business.
Iran has been in need of a serious ass whoopin’ since sometime in the Carter administration.
Since about 4 November 1979, to be a bit more precise.
Ex, is the bird on the branch in the above picture waiting for it’s “shredded Tweet””????????
Well, it’s a contest between the redtailed hawk and the squawking male redwing blackbird to see who had the most stamina to stick around.
The hawk won.
Queue Tom Lehrer “who’s next?”
First we got the bomb but that was good cause we love peace and brotherhood
Then Russia got the bomb but that’s ok cause the balance of power is maintained that way
Who’s next?
(Lots more)
Lever is a lefty, but he is a funny one.
So how soon will we see another Operation Praying Mantis?
Try this one.