WarSclerotic

Iran says US plot suspect is ant… JPost – Iranian Threat – News.

    TEHRAN – Iran has complained to the United Nations about a US accusation it tried to assassinate a Saudi diplomat, saying one of the alleged plotters Washington calls an Iranian military official is really a member of an anti-Tehran rebel group.

Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Saturday the plot was part of a multi-pronged US strategy to smear Tehran, a process he said would continue next week when the UN nuclear agency publishes a report western diplomats say will contain new evidence about Iran’s nuclear program.

The complaint to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon turned the US accusation that Tehran supports terrorism back onto Washington, Salehi said.

“This letter contains our complaint about the plots of the United States, reliable information that we have of the US involvement in those plots,” he said in a news conference broadcast live on the English language channel Press TV.

On its website, Press TV reported the letter said a suspect who US prosecutors have identified as an Iranian military official is actually a member of the exiled Iranian rebel group Mujahideen Khalq Organisation (MKO).

One of two men charged with plotting to kill the Saudi ambassador to Washington, 56-year-old Iranian-American Manssor Arbabsiar, pleaded not guilty at a court hearing in New York last month.

The second, Gholam Shakuri, is still at large and US officials say he is a member of the Quds Force, an arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who approved the plan to hire Mexican gangsters to murder Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir.

The semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Oct. 17 that Shakuri was a member of the MKO, also known as the People’s Mujahideen Organisation of Iran (PMOI), based in Iraq and listed as a terrorist group by the United States.

Citing “informed sources,” Mehr said Shakuri had travelled to Washington and to the MKO base at Camp Ashraf in Iraq.

Iranian officials did not initially comment on the report which said Interpol had discovered Shakuri’s true identity, but Press TV reported on Saturday it was now in the letter delivered to Ban.

Pressure from military strike speculation

Washington is using what it says was a foiled plot to help bolster international support to tighten sanctions on Iran which it accuses of developing nuclear weapons and sponsoring terrorism, charges denied by Tehran.

Israeli and western media have increased speculation in recent days that Israel might launch a strike on Iran’s nuclear sites. Some analysts say that, rather than any firm evidence military action is imminent, the chatter reflects efforts to increase diplomatic pressure on Tehran.

Salehi said Iran did not fear possible revelations in a report to be issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday that western diplomats say will make a “compelling case” the Iranian nuclear program is not entirely peaceful.

“They are claiming that they are going to publish new documents. We know what the truth is – let them publish them and we’ll see what happens. Will they not be called into question as an agency that is under pressure by foreign powers?” Salehi said.

The IAEA report, the assassination plot and accusations about human rights abuses were a “three-pronged attack from the West against Iran … just an assault to pressure Iran into subjugation,” he said.

Salehi repeated the stance of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who has said Iran has 100 “undeniable documents” proving US involvement in terrorism.

U.S. concerned Israel could strike Iran – CNN Security Clearance – CNN.com Blogs.

File photo of an Israeli F-15 fighter jet

By Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr

The United States has become increasingly concerned Israel could be preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear program, a senior U.S. military official told CNN on Friday.

The U.S. military and intelligence community in recent weeks have stepped up “watchfulness” of both Iran and Israel, according to the senior U.S. military official and a second military official familiar with the U.S. actions.  Asked if the Pentagon was concerned about an attack, the senior military official replied “absolutely.” Both officials declined to be identified because of the extreme sensitivity of the matter.

Both the U.S. Central Command, which watches developments in Iran, and the U.S. European Command, which watches developments in Israel, are “increasingly vigilant” in watching potential military movement in both countries.  U.S. satellites are a crucial method of gathering intelligence in both arenas, though the official did not specify that was the method being used.

Separately, another senior U.S. military official is now calling Iran the largest threat to the United States in the Middle East.  Concerns about the threat to American interests from Iran has grown for several reasons, according to military officials.  In addition to the country’s nuclear ambitions, recent allegations have come to light about an Iranian assassination plot in Washington, Iranian shipment of weapons into Iraq, and continued Iranian support for the militant group Hezbollah.

The concerns over a possible Israeli strike come as the International Atomic Energy Agency is set to release a report next week detailing Iran’s progress on its nuclear weapons development program.  A number of Israeli newspapers in recent days have speculated that the Israeli government could respond with attacks.

The military official told CNN that the United States is watching any Israeli military movements closely as well as those inside Iran.  In the past, the U.S. officials felt they had assurances from Israel that it would give warning to the United States of any attack.

“Now that doesn’t seem so ironclad,” the official said.

The American assessment is that an Israeli strike could likely include both manned aircraft and use of Israeli Jericho ballistic missiles. Manned aircraft are particularly risky because Israeli pilots would have to cross into third-country airspace, and likely engage in mid-air refueling that could be detected by radars in the region.  In addition, Iranian air defenses are “top notch,” according to the official, and pose a threat to both manned aircraft and missiles.  Drones do not have the range to attack Iranian targets and do not carry enough firepower to destroy Iran’s underground weapons facilities.

The official underscored long-standing U.S. military concerns about the risk of hostilities to American troops in the region, both those still in Iraq and U.S. naval forces and ground forces throughout the Persian Gulf.  The official also strongly emphasized the United States has no current intention of striking Iran.