Tehran is refusing to give up its right to enrich uranium as part of its nuclear program, which it says is designed for the peaceful purpose of meeting the country’s energy needs. Washington claims uranium enrichment will be used by Tehran to build nuclear weapons, and has campaigned since 2003 for the United Nations Security Council to take action against Iran. More recently, the White House has made thinly veiled threats to use military action, if necessary, to stop nuclear development in Iran.

The pretext for the new round of imperialist threats was remarks by Ahmadinejad at a news conference in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in early December. In speaking out against the Israeli occupation of Palestine, he resorted to anti-Semitic arguments, stating, “Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces…. Although we don’t accept this claim, if we suppose it is true, our question for the Europeans is: Is the killing of innocent Jewish people by Hitler the reason for their support to the occupiers of Jerusalem? If the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces in Europe—like in Germany, Austria, or other countries—to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe.”

Speaking at a public rally in the Iranian city of Zahedan December 14, the president said, “Today, they have created a myth in the name of Holocaust and consider it to be above God, religion and the prophets. If you committed this big crime, then why should the oppressed Palestinian nation pay the price?”

The imperialist powers—notwithstanding their own anti-Semitic histories, including their refusal to aid Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi terror during World War II—leaped upon Ahmadinejad’s statements in an effort to isolate Tehran.

A summit of the European Union (EU) on December 16 declared his remarks are “wholly unacceptable and have no place in civilized political debate.” The EU leaders also demanded that Iran support the right of Israel to exist and oppose groups that employ violence. The White House said Ahmadinejad’s words “only underscore why it is so important that the international community continue to work together to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons.”

The Sunday Times of London reported that Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon has instructed his military commanders to be ready for a military attack on Iranian nuclear installations by the end of next March if Iran has not backed down from its nuclear development plans. According to the Times, Israel would bomb the sites with F-151 warplanes, which can fly to and from Iran without needing to refuel, as well as deploy commando units on the ground. Israeli commandos are reportedly operating now in Kurdish areas of northern Iraq, identifying targets across the border in Iran.

“Thank God Israel has the means at its disposal to bring about the downfall of this extremist regime in Iran,” Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for Sharon, told the press. “There will be no second ‘final solution.’”

Gen. Amos Gilad, a top adviser to the Israeli Defense Ministry, said the details in the Times “appear more imaginary than real,” but such a military assault “cannot be ruled out in the future.” The Times article quoted an unnamed source saying, “If we opt for the military strike, it must be not less than 100 percent successful. It will resemble the destruction of the Egyptian air force in three hours in June, 1967.” The Israeli air force bombed and destroyed a nuclear reactor in Iraq in 1981.

Asked if she thought Israel would repeat in Iran what it did to Iraq in 1981, U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice said, “I can’t speculate on how this might all play out…. I think the fact is Iran is just getting more and more isolated and we’re going to have to act on that sooner or later.” She called again for Iran to be dragged before the UN Security Council.

Mohammed ElBaradei, head of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said, “The international community is losing patience with the nature of [the Iranian nuclear] program. The ball is in Iran’s court. It is up to Iran to show the kind of transparency they need to show.” In the past, ElBaradei has been critical of threats made by Washington against Tehran and has urged the imperialist powers to resolve the nuclear conflict through negotiations with the Iranian government. The IAEA’s board of governors will take up Iran again at its next meeting in March.  
 
 
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