What does Iran mean when it says...?

Probably that they will cut oil production.

Not much they can do otherwise.

Of course they can continue with what they are doing already.. plotting attacks against our people.

But, since they are doing that already (or sponsoring it), the only "pain" they can cause is to slow oil production.

We are not direct buyers of their crude, but the EU is, thus, we would be effected.

You have all missed the point.

When Chicago goes up in a mushroom cloud, some fine morning, our Iranean Politicos will smirk at the camera and declare it to be "divine vengence" by "Allah".

You prove it was them.

Smug, cute responses are out of line when peoples lives are on the line. Take these buttheads seriously, they can't lose. They can't. No matter what they do, the US (left) press will make them heroes and Allah will give them 27 virgins.

I think it was a general all around threat designed to make us worry. In other words a bluff.

Their hope is that Americans (which they know are not happy with current American Policy) will pressure the US govt not to do anything.

Their goal with the statement is to have Americans go, "Oh my God they are going to nuke us or they are going to cut off our oil supply !"

Either of which is not likely since... they don't have nukes (yet) and they don't import to the United States.

A: they wont nuke us, if they did everyone would go trigger happy and the world would end

B: they wont attack us in a conventional manner b/c they know that they would get their a**es handed to them

C: if they do act forcibly against us, it will be in the form of terrorism, they will probably start backing more terrorist organizations

D: they will also probably cut down on the export of oil to the US to try to kill out economy

I'm going to assume it's not a physical threat. That would be very stupid on their part. If anything, it would be more of an economic threat, such as cuts in oil production.

Or it could be another empty threat.

It propably means : "back off, or we nuke you". If you ask me it's about time the people in the middle-east start stick up for themselves.

not sure - it would be interesting to hear what they said in Farsi - I'm sure the translators are given latidude.