The ticking clock of Iran's nuclear threat

He says 20 percent enriched uranium is only one step away from bomb grade material: "Once you have 25 kilos of this material, in one month time you can produce uranium enough for a nuclear bomb."

Before that happens, the U.S. and its European allies intend to levy harsh sanctions on Iran that would put its central bank out of business.

"It's a big problem for Iran, because basically the central bank handles all the payments for their oil, so it is obviously a way to affect Iran's ability to sell their oil," said Ross.

On top of that, Europe - which buys about 18 percent of Iran's petroleum, a fifth of their oil revenue - is expected to ban imports of Iranian oil.

Iran's response has been to stage war games and threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz through which 15 million barrels of Mideast oil pass each day.

"For the Iranians to act on that threat they do themselves more harm than anybody else," said Ross.

Closing the Strait would cripple Iran's own oil exports and alienate virtually every nation which depends on Mideast oil, or cares about the price of oil.

"This wouldn't just be the United States that would have a concern about keeping it open," said Ross. "It would be the international community and it would be some of their most important trading partners, like China, for example."

Actually, the U.S. would be more than just "concerned" if Iran tried to close the Strait. Panetta said Iran blocking Hormuz would be a red line that America would not tolerate. Also a red line: Developing a nuclear weapon.

If it comes to that, the B-2 Stealth bomber has been outfitted with a 30,000-pound bunker-busting bomb designed to destroy Iran's underground nuclear facilities.

In an interview with Scott Pelley for "60 Minutes," Panetta warned Iran could cross the nuclear red line as early as this year.

"When the Secretary of Defense said a year, that's the worst case . . . the more likely case would probably be several years," said Ross.

That sounds like time enough for sanctions to decimate Iran's economy, and make the Ayatollahs think twice about how badly they want the Bomb.

There's one problem:

"The Israelis look at what time they have available still to them to use a military option if it was necessary," said Ross.

Israel's Defense Minister has warned Iran will soon have dispersed its nuclear facilities and hidden them underground to the point that a military strike could no longer stop the program.

"He's publicly giving interviews where he talks about 6 to 9 months from now," said Ross.

The red lines are fast approaching.

Assassination, sabotage and sanctions might delay them, but they will not be erased unless and until Iran gives up its nuclear ambitions.

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[DesignerRants]

You ought to be ashamed for mouth-piecing for the military-industrial complex. Leon Panetta, former Top Spook, now Top Cop, just said a week ago that Iran is not building a bomb. Did Dick Cheney ghostwrite this piece?

[honest_pols]

RELIGIOUS DUTY TO DESTROY OTHERS?

To economicterror and Lerianis4:

venusvegasvada is right in many ways.

There is no proper comparison to be made, as Israelis never threatened to destroy any other people or country. The current INTOLERANT Iranian regime cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons.

The religious madmen/fanatics who run Iran, are seeking to FORCE their version of Islam on ALL, and by creating The Apocalypse to "usher in" The Mahdi(Islamic Savior), AFTER world destruction.
(To be better informed, see Iranium The Movie)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiEEn6C4Ca0

In fact, YOU would also take preventive measures like take out missile and rocket sites, and suicide bombers, for examples, if you knew that they were a deadly threat against YOU and/or your family!

[venusvegasvada]

Iran is simply too unstable and has declared for decades their threats to their neighbors and western countries. Basically anyone that doesn't roll over for them. They start religious conflicts against Jews, Sunni's and anyone else that's not a Shiite. They have the death penalty in their own country for any Muslim that decides to convert to another religion.

To even compare their balance, sanity and quality of leadership to any other nation that posses nuclear weapons is a pure stretch of the imagination.

Just because Iraq didn't have WMD's doesn't mean we shouldn't fear WMD's of being in the hands of those that are imbalanced. If Iran were to get the bomb you can bet we'd have to watch every US coastal city for fear of them sneaking one in, as well as the entire middle east.

Iran keeps pushing their missile tech too with that aim of developing true long range missile. Why? Nobody is going to invade Iran if they chill out. That's the madness they posses. A cabin fever craziness where they think they have to have and NEED to have the ability of vaporizing the rest of the planet. Why? What do they bring to the table? Some oil. What else do they manufacture besides lies and hate about the history of the Jewish people and the rest of the world? Not much. They believe their religious, piousness so much they are not far removed from the Taliban. Convert the rest of the world to Shiite Islam or die. They have no separation between church and state. They are imbalanced.

They are a cancer that wants the rest of the world to be as miserable as they are or die.

Who wants to live in a world where they have a nuke and a missile to deliver it with? Who wants to take the risk? Which US city do you "head in the sand" people want to sacrifice in the gumdrop-sky experiment of Iran having a nuke so somebody can say, "told you so?" after we lose 10 million people in a flash?

[venusvegasvada]

Read the comment. Israel may or may not have them but the point it they are a true Democracy. They have adult leadership. They are not trying to wipe out their neighbors, they are trying to survive and get along with them. If their neighbors wouldn't start anything, there wouldn't be anything.

Iran does not have adult leadership. I don't care what they sign, it's not worth the paper it's written on, unless they signed it on a roll of toilet paper then it would be useful for something. GET IT?

[Lerianis4]

Oh, you mean like there was a ticking clock on the threat of China getting nuclear weapons? Or Pakistan? Or India?

Can we get some reality on this subject? I am not buying this chicken little ******** about "It will be the end of the world if Iran gets nukes!"

Hardly. Iran is not stupid enough that they do not know that if they ever used nuclear weapons against anyone, it would be the end of Iran.

[venusvegasvada]

Iran IS stupid enough to use it. That's the problem. They have done nothing but say they want Israel destroyed? Where have you been for the last 20 or so years? You can't compare Iran to Russia, the US, China or any other nation that has a sane, functional govt. There is reason there and balance. Not so with Iran. It's a religious, psycho-finatac dictatorship, ran by the Grand Poo-Baah Ayatolah. Get your head out of the ground and remember who's side your on.

[Tricia200]

Iran is a sovereign country and has every right to develop a nuclear weapon. Plenty of other countries, including Israel, already have them.
Iran will not use a nuclear weapon against other countries, but instead use it as a deterrent - to keep countries like the US and Israel from attacking it. North Korea has nuclear weapons and was not attacked by the US. Iraq did not and look what happened to it. Lesson learned.

[netjunkie1]

No they don't.

[Lerianis4]

Right in one. Our intervention in Iraq is what is making Iran concentrate with single-minded focus on getting nuclear weapons.

[venusvegasvada]

Which US city to propose gets vaporized first? New York? Washington? Los Angeles? Please, I'd love to hear your response.

[sweetcakesmaria]

Who would have thought that nuclear weapons would be an effective deterrent. Years ago, Syria nuclear facilities were bombed by Israel simply because they could not retaliate. If you're a small country like Iran, you had better develop something powerful to keep the big dog in the yard at bay. Tricia is right on. The countries with nuclear bombs don't have to worry about attacks from other countries. North Koreans can now rest peacefully because they will never get attacked simply because they have an ability to effectively retaliate.

[Samlv]

This person was very closely monitored by Iran.

We're short-selling Iranians if we blame the killing on the US or Israel.

They have a resistance.

It truly does strain credibility for Iran to assert it wasn't done by Iranians when they were watching the guy 24/7.

[jkoscu5079]

Let's face it.

The Iranian Ayatollas and power seekers in Iran, don't need nuclear weapons to survive, or because they lack energy resources.
In fact, Iran is energy-WEALTHY!

The Iranian leaders and Ayatollas want nuclear weapons for one thing.
And that one thing is for power to dominate, conquer and destroy Western, American and the Israeli minority people's lives.

[Samlv]

Iran has the world's second largest natural gas reserves. They could have built hundreds of gas-fired turbines if all they wanted was electricity. They also could have built a few dozen refineries to make gasoline so they didn't have to import that, either.

Iran has clearly declared its intentions.

Treating them as if they are just 'acting out' or as if they are not going to use a nuclear weapon is foolish.

Unlike Iraq, where we were lied to about what they were doing and why, Iran is very clear. We should take them at their word. We should not ignore them.

[venusvegasvada]

Exactly

[MichMaxx]

Here we go again. The media is beating the drums for another war. This is Iraq Part 2. We've already been manipulated into a phony war, based on lies about "Weapons of Mass Destruction." Iran doesn't have the bomb. The IAEA report states that Iran has some technologies consistent with bomb making, but there is no certainty.

The same corrupt gang that made billions of the last two wars is itching to further bankrupt the US, while enriching themselves. Don't believe the lies.

[worldcitizen1]

The Israeli propaganda machine continues to manipulate the US into a war with Iran. They are NO threat to the US. How would the US military view an Iranian aircraft carrier group with nuclear weapons in the Gulf of Mexico? Many us citizens have little perspective. There is no need for the US to be in the Persian Gulf.

[sweetcakesmaria]

Exactly!

[msimamaji]

So Iran is a serious threat, so serious that we must invade Iran IMMEDIATELY!!!

Very well.

Let's rise the income tax rate that the rich pay to 91% - With no tax breaks either.

Let Mitt Romney's sons enlist in the Armed Forces, and request front line combat positions.

Let's ban the export of all petroleum products, including oil from the KeystoneXL project.

Let's impose gasoline rationing. Let people walk, ride the bus or take the train.

If the Republicans don't support these measures immediately, then the "ticking time bomb" is not that serious. It's just another Republican campaign gimmick to confuse the public.