Who still deffends Iran and why?

You are right. Sanctions may not be enough. But it is worth the effort. Since Natanz, the nuclear research facility is underground, simply a massive EMP explosion in the atmosphere to knock out all electronics would not be sufficient.

Russia has repeatedly urged Iran to stop enriching uranium. Russis said it "regrets" Iran's decision not to halt uranium enrichment by the deadline. Some time ago Russia offered to sell Iran its enriched uranium to use in the power plant and has offered to help Iran construct a "light water" facility. Instead Iran opted to construct a "heavy water" facility which was recently opened at Arak. The underground research facility at Natanz

Mohammad Nabi Rudaki stated that 164 centrifuge sets are now enriching uranium up to 4.5 percent grade to provide nuclear fuel for industrial and power plant needs and that Iran will soon enrich uranium to the grade of 9 percent in 3000 centrifuge sets.

China has far more trade with the US than with Iran and although it competes with the US for oil, it receives roughly one quarter of OPEC oil.

If the Islamic leaders were a little less apocalyptic, perhaps a diplomatic solution might be found. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei wants to be the Shiite Caliph from Iran through Iraq to Lebanon. He needs to shift the balance of power in his favor.

The UN Security Council has reviewed the report from the Director General of the IAEA regarding whether Iran has established full and sustained suspension of all uranium enrichment and research activities. However, the UNSC will wait to consider possible actions until after the European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, meets with Ali Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, sometime in the middle of next week to seek a negotiated solution to the standoff over Tehran's refusal to freeze uranium enrichment.

The UNSC may take measures under Article 41 of Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations to persuade Iran to comply with Resolution 1696 and the requirements of the IAEA. The UNSC will use diplomatic and economic sanctions including a ban on missile and nuclear technology to Tehran; international refusal to grant entry visas to those involved in Iran’s nuclear program and a freeze of their assets as well as a ban on investment in the country. Don't count on Russia and China to block that sanction vote. But if they do, there are other alternatives

U.S. Central Command is updating a target list for Iran. Retired Gen. McInerney advocates using B-2 stealth bombers, cruise missiles and jet fighters to conduct a one- or two-day bombing campaign to take out Iran's air defenses, military facilities and about 40 nuclear targets, which includes a Russian-built reactor and an enrichment plant at Bushehr. Israel has drafted plans for air strikes using long-range versions of the F-15 and F-16 fighters.

On August 22 Ali Larijani, hand delivered Iran's 21-page response to UNSC 1696 the package of incentives to dissuage Iran from uranium enrichment. Iran's top nuclear negotiator said that Tehran was ready to enter "serious negotiations" over its disputed nuclear program but did not say that it was willing to suspend uranium enrichment — the West's key demand. The West is still offering many economic incentives.

On August 19, Iran launched a large-scale area, sea and ground exercise he maneuver, the Blow of Zolfaghar (the sword used by Imam Ali), which involved 12 divisions, army Chinook helicopters, unmanned planes, parachutists, electronic war units and special forces. Iran's state-run television reported that the new anti-aircraft system was tested "to make Iranian air space unsafe for our enemies."

On Sunday, August 20, in the Kashan desert about 250 kilometers southeast of the capital of Tehran, Iran tested the Saegheh missile which has a range of between 80 to 250 kilometers. Saegheh means lightning in Farsi. (The language of Iran is not Arabic and Iranians are not Arabs.)

Iran's arsenal also contains the Shahab-3 missile, which means "shooting star" in Farsi, and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. It has a range of more than 2,000 kilometers and can reach Israel and US forces in the Middle East.

Iran's military test-fired a series of missiles during large-scale war games in the Persian Gulf in March and April, including a missile it claimed was not detectable by radar that can use multiple warheads to hit several targets simultaneously.

On August 23, 2006 an article about Iran's reply to the incentives proposal, that was posted on the Iranian Foreign Ministry-affiliated website , implied that Iran's nuclear technology had already reached the point of no return: "...

The following are excerpts from the Al-Borz report:

"It is expected that the first anniversary of the forming of the ninth government will be the date of the Ahmadinejad government's 'nuclear birth.'

"... Together with [the celebration of] the anniversary of the forming of the ninth cabinet, the president of the country [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad] will hold his third press conference... where he will answer questions from journalists from Iran and from abroad.

"In addition to detailing the activities of the government at the end of [its first] year, the head of the government [i.e. Ahmadinejad] will officially present Iran's positions on: economic and cultural matters, the nuclear dossier, the activities of nuclear research centers, and developments in the region."

Iran has been persistent to deter IAEA inspectors on certain properties which had been agreed to under the NPT (nuclear non-proliferation treaty.)

Ali Soltanieh, Iran's permanent representative to the IAEA, denied that Iran had refused UN inspectors' access to its underground nuclear facilities at Natanz in central Iran. Iran needs to enrich uranium as a peaceful, alternative energy source and has the right to do so under the NPT, according to Iranian officials. They have told the IAEA that the traces of enriched uranium came from equipment purchased from another country, which was already contaminated.

Iran does not allow for remote monitoring of the PFEP (Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant). Or monitoring of the PHRC (Physics Research Center). Or monitoring of the P-1 and P-2 centrifuges which it purchased from Pakistan.

Iran delenda est.

Because number one Iran hasn't made any offensive moves on anyone....and also the USA which Iran does not like is now occupying two neighboring countries so they gonna want to protect themselves then theirs Israel that for has a nuclear deterrent against Iran long before Iran said anything bad about them........Oh and by the way I understand Farsi I listend to what the president had to say about the holocaust he believes it happend ....and the missles you rant about? Other uses than a first strike? Have you considered them for retaliation? When someone attacks them they can attack back?...Iran is doing this all to prevent USA and Israel from meddling in its affairs if they keep out no problem......P.S Theres no proof that Iran is supporting terrorists but we do know they detained and arrested members of Al-Qaeda

Why should they be peaceful and take a defensive stance, when the US is preemptively striking soverign nations. Maybe they want the weapons to protect themselves from us.

The US is like a guy walking around with a flame thrower, threatening all the kids at the playgruond yelling "Put down those matches, put'em down or I'll flame your ***!"

YOU are missing the point. so they have a rocket that is undetectalbe to radar huh, well we got a whole f-ing plane! We've had it for over 10 years, what exactly is its purpose.

Iran HAS done a lot. (In response to a previous answer.) They are the main enemy in the war on terror, supporting terror groups like Hezbollah and others for nearly 30 years now. They are adding and abetting the insurgency in Iraq and Afghan...and in Lebanon. They are *saying* they wish to annihilate Israel. You can't "wait" until they actually do that, can you?

By the way, even if Iran had not been the primary behind-the-scenes pulling-the-strings actor in this Islamo-fascist war, the mere fact that the leaders are dictators enslaving the Iranian people is sufficient moral justification to go to war. It is always just to go to war to free enslaved people. (Not that it would actually sufficiently warrant a war, because there are many other enslaved people as well, and any war just to free enslaved people would have to consider where one's efforts are most efficiently employed.)

Finally, I should add that "sovereignty" does not apply to dictators. "Oh, a bunch of thugs with guns have enslaved a population of millions and declared themselves a government. Now it would be wrong to interfere with them." I don't think so, and neither would the enslaved people stuck there. Dictator thugs do not earn sovereignty.

As for Captain W below, nearly all the U.S. Iranians WANT the mullahs overthrown. Only natural for enslaved people to want their dictator overthrown, no?

Because Iran hasn't actually done anything yet, other than stockpile uranium, and that is not enought to go to war over...And as for supplying weapons to terrorists..*cough* America supplies weapons to Israel and the IRA *cough cough*

Iran had better get the bomb in a big hurry or it will end up just like Iraq. They got oil and oil makes rich people richer.

Saddam had Iran in check now there the most powerful country in that area

Russia!

not me, I have always felt that Iran was/is a terrorist nation

I think only iranians deffend iran. I don't like persian cutlure myself, with all due respect. I find them very arrogant and snubbish and full of it. Am i an anti-semite? God please forgive me.