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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Israel finance minister says Iran economy "on verge of collapse"
2012-09-30
Al-Roooters
Israel regards the prospect of its arch enemy developing nuclear weapons as a threat to its existence, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that, although sanctions are taking their toll, they are not yet forcing Iran to abandon work that could soon lead to a nuclear warhead.

However, Israeli officials appear increasingly ready to acknowledge the effect of recent American and European sanctions designed to restrict Iran's lifeline oil exports.
cuz Obama wants us to believe that?
"The sanctions on Iran in the past year jumped a level," Steinitz told Israel Radio, noting that as finance minister, he follows Iran's economy.

"It is not collapsing, but it is on the verge of collapse. The loss of income from oil there is approaching $45-50 billion by the year's end," Steinitz said.
Posted by:Frank G

#11  OTOH DAILY TIMES > [Israeli FM Lieberman] IRAN SANCTIONS COULD TRIGGER DOMESTIC UPRISING. Mubarak = Tahrir Square-style revolution, aka "IRAN/TEHRAN SPRING"???

ARTIC > FM LIEBERMAN = argues that the effects of UN Sanctions has been ...
- Iran's younger generations are sick-n-tired of being held hostage + sacrificing their futures.
- Decrease in Basic Goods.
- Increases in Crime.
- Increase in the number of Iranians trying to flee the country, send their $$$ or Assets overseas.

versus

* TOPIX > THE AMERICAN-IRANIAN ALLIANCE.

US Geopol + Strategy impossible widout the Iran factor.

Yuuup.

Ironically, one can make a good argument that US tactical or battlefield success in the post-9-11 GWOT would NOT be possible widout the Ayatollah Khomeini + Iran's "People Power" Islamist Revolution.

OR IRAQ, OR .... but these are another story - I could tell youse, but then I'll have to kill youse. Again, nothing personal, but its the law.

* SAME > NO ATTACK ON IRAN [likely]DURING SYRIA CONFLICT.

Again, SYRIA historically has been one of the most isolationist of the major Arab League states whom during the Cold War + Arab-Israeli Struggle usually only attacked Israel under extreme political pressure from Nasserian Egypt or the Saudis [+ Soviets], hence is one of the best "FRENEMY" or Enemy Israel could hope to have as it has allowed Israel to concentrate its IDF assets towards Egypt + KSA - IFF BABY ASSAD LOSES IN SYRIA TO THE REBS, ISRAEL + IDF WILL NO LONGER HAVE THE OPTIONS + OPERAT FLEXIBILITY IT HAD BEFORE.

Israel's Govt. = Tel Aviv may not officially admit it, but its prolly happy as a lark [or at least not sad] that Baby Assad is presen winning his civil war.

* SAME > EXPERT: IRAN ATTACK HAS TOO MANY UNPREDICTABLE CONSEQUENCES FOR MIDDLE EAST + WORLD.

* SAME > IRAN MILITARY OFFICIAL: TURKEY IS THE "MAIN LOSER" IN [Assad vs. Rebels]SYRIA BATTLE.

RELATED SAME > DAMASCUS [Syria = Assad] TO ANKARA [Turkey]: WE WILL ARM EVERY KURDISH MILITANT WID A ROCKET, + other advanced or deadly weapons iff Turkey or Israel mil intervenes in Syria's ongoing conflict.

E.g. RUSSIAN-MADE "KORNET" ATGMS as used by Hezbollah agz Israeli MBTS in Lebanon back in 2006.

Syria's CHEMWAR, etc. arsenal to be held in strategic reserve by Assad Regime in case of foreign or UN intervention.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2012-09-30 23:44  

#10  could well be true. in the end, everything that is happening is just economic warfare against them ... paid for in human blood.
Posted by: Raider   2012-09-30 19:47  

#9  Iran's problems include both sanctions and cost of subsidizing hezbollah and Assad.

Frankly, I think the main thing preventing them from going past 20% enrichment is syria.
Posted by: lord garth   2012-09-30 18:00  

#8  my pocket protector just got hard
Posted by: Frank G   2012-09-30 16:37  

#7  asymptotical war

Heh. That's a winner. And Nerdy Post of the Day, besides.
Posted by: SteveS   2012-09-30 16:02  

#6  Get your asymptote back to the Chargers game, Commodore, heh......
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2012-09-30 14:23  

#5  asymptotical war
Posted by: Frank G   2012-09-30 13:58  

#4  halfway to collapse
one-fourth way to collapse
one-eighth way to collapse
one-sixteenth way to collapse
.........
1 x 2^(-N) way to collapse
.........
Not a rapidly enough converging function.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2012-09-30 13:44  

#3  it may really boil down to how harsh the State is willing to be with dissenters. The N. Koreans will stop at nothing to crush rebellious citizens. If Ahmadinejad does the same thing with the Iranian opposition - then economic sanctions won't work. Given what Tehran has already done, plus the brutal way they are putting down resistance in Syria, I'd say the chance for a full-scale internal rebellion inside Iran seems slim.
Posted by: Raider   2012-09-30 13:40  

#2  But N. Korea has had a hopeless economy for decades - and they are still building nukes!

Koreans are social, Raider. Muslims are eusocial.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2012-09-30 12:40  

#1  No doubt the Iranians are under great pressure. But N. Korea has had a hopeless economy for decades - and they are still building nukes! Iran has some great advantages that the N. Koreans do not have - especially their income from oil. They can also subvert sanctions through very active smuggling operations ... all of which are in high gear right now. So if Iran feels the pinch ... all they have to do is stage an incident that pushes up oil prices by several $/BL. Bingo - their income jumps by millions.
Posted by: Raider   2012-09-30 12:24  

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