Iran looks to China for support.

Ruh-roh!

http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqid=7075-qqqx=1.asp

With Ahmadinejad in office, the conservatives now run every major decision-making body in Iran. After eight years of having to share power with moderates, conservatives can now pursue Iran\'s nuclear programme which, they insist, is for peaceful means only.

Iran\'s policy-makers have calculated that they can move forward with the country\'s nuclear programme without any serious repercussions. Instead of worrying about what the West might do to hold back the nuclear programme, Iranians are looking east, where they see a rising giant and a close ally in China.

The alliance is mutually beneficial: Iran supplies the energy-hungry China with oil and key industrial minerals essential to China\'s rapidly expanding economy. In return, China provides Iran with military and civilian technology.

The business dealings are fuelled and politicised by both countries\' dislike of the United States.

For China, Iran\'s vast oil and gas reserves are a reliable and constant source of energy, especially because the market\'s most powerful players – Exxon Mobil, Chevron-Texaco and other American companies - are barred from drilling in Iran due to the existing US sanctions.

In the past 15 months, China has signed a number of energy contracts with Iran, including a 25-year agreement valued at more than $100 billion over the next decade. That deal gives Chinese companies a51-percent interest in the vast Yadavaran oilfield, Iran\'s biggest onshore field.

[...]

Soon after this agreement was signed, Li Zhaoxing, the Chinese foreign minister, paid a visit to Iran, saying that China saw “no reason\'‘ to refer Iran\'s nuclear programme to the United Nations. Such comments from a Chinese official are good news for Iran, because China sits on the United Nations\' Security Council, the only body that can impose economic sanctions on member states.

As a permanent member, China can veto any resolution that comes before the Council.

It is expected that China would veto any resolution aimed at Iran\'s nuclear programme.

Given the Sino-Iranian relationship, the US and the EU are reluctant to see Iran\'s case go before the Security Council.

They would rather see continued negotiations and hope the impasse will end.


[...]

As for the US, surgical military strikes against Iran\'s nuclear facilities are a possibility.

However, they are unlikely because of the US involvement in Iraq, the US military\'s diminished resources, and President Bush\'s low approval ratings, particularly in regard to his handling of the war in Iraq.

Until an agreement is reached, through diplomacy or by force, the world will be watching Iranian technicians roll out barrels of yellowcake.

sheesh

On one hand I want to say we just leave them the f0ck alone, let Iran make whatever nuclear tools it wants, and if/when war breaks out over there, to the victor go the spoils.

But if we did nothing, war broke out, and Iran rolled over Israel, Kuwait, and a handful of other mideat countries to institute a greedy dictatorship where only 20% of the population can read & write, I\'m sure that would spark some concern.

What would you do fastson?

Hmm. Not sure what I would do.

Though I doubt they would invade any countries (now or in the coming years, IIRC their military is quite dated).

If they acquire nukes I think its only for defensive purposes, they feel threatened by the US build-up in Iraq (how many permanent bases are they building now, 14?) and Israels powers.

"Who would bomb a nuclear power?"
That’s what I think they are thinking.

They want a guarantee that they will not become the new Iraq in a few years.

I don\'t know about them just using it as a defensive weapon.  Iran has repeatedly said it will destroy Israel if it acquires a nuclear weapon.

Originally posted by GigaShadow
I don\'t know about them just using it as a defensive weapon.  Iran has repeatedly said it will destroy Israel if it acquires a nuclear weapon.

Sure, but I doubt those words actually mean anything unless Iran is attacked first.

Iran will "wipe out Israel off the face of the earth" if it or the United States attack its nuclear facilities, a senior Iranian official has warned.

Defensive.

Iran threatens Israel, Israel threatens Iran and so on.