Evidently, Iran’s president isn’t ready to blink, yet, in the stare-down contest he’s running with Bush:
“Iran has joined countries with nuclear technology,” [Ahmadinejad] said.
Given that the International Atomic Energy Agency is scheduled for inspections and meetings in Iran this week, and that the UN Security Council has given a 30-day deadline on all enrichment activity, Polimom guesses that blink isn’t going to come anytime soon, either:
“We should expand the work of these machines to achieve a full industrial line. We need dozens of these units to achieve a uranium enrichment facility.”
Sigh…
According to Stratfor’s analysis (without which I think I’d go insane sometimes), this really marks a turning point for Europe, who will likely let America take the lead now. (link, by subscription)
For obvious reasons, Israel is doubtless paying very careful attention, but evidently they are not overly alarmed yet. As Stratfor put it: “The world can be certain that Iran has not yet stepped over Israel’s redline; after all Tehran is still a city, not a crater.”
Er… yes.
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Update: While they may not have stepped entirely over that redline, Israel is making its discomfort known.