Iran should realize the risks of propagandist rhetoric and confrontational approaches to the situation in the Middle East

Ummm...yeah. It's not like Iran has a history of propagandistic rhetoric or confrontational approaches. I mean, this was probably just a bad waffle platter or something coming back on the Iranian president; he'd never say something like that otherwise.

I vote we just chalk this whole sorry episode up to a bad gas attack brought on by questionable waffles and forget about it.

Onionize:

The Ministry added: "On a totally unrelated subject, we would like to announce our latest version of the SCUD missile, with new 'Hebrew-Seeking Technology (TM)'! We urge all our customers to upgrade their stocks of outdated SCUD products before engaging in any ill-advised, counterproductive military excursions."

I don't think that this is "make nice with Bush" talk. Looking at the language, it looks like they're saying in Diplo-Speak "Cool your jets, ace, or someone is likely to come along and cool them for you."

The interesting bit about this is not so much the statement but the response. Iran says crazy stuff all the time, but seems to have struck a nerve with this one.

For my money, I think that this is all essentially proxy for commentary about the Iranian nuclear program. In other words, folks are telling Iran that talk like this, plus nukes, is a good way to get downtown Tehran started on some 200-kT urban renewal projects.

I think the Russians figure they won't get paid for their help with Iran's nuclear project if it gets the shit bombed out of it.

Its obvious now that Iran plans to become a regional superpower and more obvious that Iran and China wish to become an ally against the west.

I don't understand how he can say that his statements were "just" and how Iranian leaders speak of their country and Islamic justice.

An Islamic cleric shot a young man in the face recently, and his punishment was to pay a fine. Another young Iranian man recently held a birthday party, and he recieved 127 lashes in public and has to spend several years in jail.

I'm an Iranian myself, but I feel as if the time as come to bomb the shit out of every military installation in Iran. We must render them incapable of attacking or threatening anyone ever again. We must do everything short of an invasion if we ever want an everlasting peace in the middle east.

I'm having a hard time searching Bible Gateway, but "Russia still seems solidly in Iran's corner" is reminicent of some prophecy about God putting a hook in Gog's jaw (binding it to Persia in some way?) So it's written, they're bestest buddies in the end times no matter what.