11th Feb - You have been warned.

[Jade]

Iran warns it will 'punch' the West on Islamic revolution anniversary


Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has said that the country was set to deliver a "punch" that will stun world powers during this week's 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution.

(Daily Telegraph)

"The Iranian nation, with its unity and God's grace, will punch the arrogance (Western powers) on the 22nd of Bahman (February 11) in a way that will leave them stunned," Khamenei, who is also Iran's commander-in-chief, told a gathering of air force personnel.

The country's top cleric was marking the occasion when Iran's air force gave its support to revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a key event which led to the toppling of the US-backed shah on February 11, 1979.

Pretty worrying stuff from the country that is cranking up the heat on nuclear proliferation.

[arealfarmer]

I'm " Stunned " that they are still in power in Iran . From what I can gather , they won't be for long .......

[aubrey]

They're all talk, that lot. Mostly, anyway.

(I mean, they have a war-like rhetoric when they talk about anything, and it rarely means what it sounds like.)

[pippa]

i agree with Aubrey - i lived in Iran for a couple of years way back and they are wonderful, generous, warm, friendly people. used to make me feel ashamed i came from a society that wasn't as giving.

another side is they do not like to lose face and with the constant threat of war against them, it is not in their nature to kow-tow.

[Jade]

I have never been but knew a few in my time - without exception honourable, sincere people who have never had the government they deserve

Glad nothing more globally serious than a bit of (local) rioting went on.

[aubrey]

By "They" I meant the leaders, by the way.

[pippa]

Feb 12, 2010 17:01:51 GMT aubrey said:

By "They" I meant the leaders, by the way.

i'd realised that. a despicable regime but i can understand how they feel pushed into a corner and so nuclear capability is a way of saying "back off" to the west. i expect also the fact that Israel having nuclear capability makes for great unease in the area.

personally i find our attitude astoundingly hypocritical. as if not bad enough already, having bombed the living daylights out of Iraq (illegally i hasten to add, ) Iran is under a constant threat.