TruthNews

Arab States Increasingly Nervous Over Iranian Nuclear Threat

International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, 9 July 2010

Israeli delegations which recently traveled to Jordan and Egypt for high-level talks with senior political and security leaders on regional issues encountered a sense of "urgency" in both countries regarding the need to stop Iran's nuclear progress, an Israeli official claims.

The Arab world is growing increasingly nervous about Iran and its renegade nuclear program, and Western leaders need to be aware of this, the Israeli source said. "While there is not much that Jordan and Egypt can do to stop Iran, it is important for the United States and countries in Europe to hear that they, too, are concerned with Iran’s nuclear program," the official stated, while also noting an increase in anti-Iranian rhetoric in both Arab countries.

The government in Jordan is particularly worried that a nuclear Iran would make it increasingly difficult to respond to Islamic fundamentalist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, which routinely agitates against moderate, Western-allied Arab governments.

Meanwhile, Egypt convicted 26 men in April for being members of the Iranian-backed Hizbullah terror militia and attempting to create chaos in Egypt by attacking tourists in the Sinai and ships in the Suez Canal and to use Egyptian territory to smuggle weapons to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. President Hosni Mubarak reportedly viewed the Hizbullah activity as a direct threat to his regime.

In his clearest statement yet that he is not opting for containment of Iran, US President Barack Obama told Israel TV Channel 2 in an interview taped on Wednesday that, "It is unacceptable for Iran to possess nuclear weapons and we are going to do everything we can to prevent that happening." He added, though, that he doubted Israel would launch a surprise attack against Iran without American approval because "neither of us try to surprise each other."

In related news, Reuters is reporting that recent sanctions have forced Iran to buy around half of its July gasoline imports from Turkey and the rest from Chinese sellers, according to oil traders. Most other suppliers have stopped selling due to the newest US sanctions, they revealed.

The limited pool of suppliers was driving up the cost of gasoline for Iran and making it harder for the Islamic Republic to buy the quantities it needs, traders added. "These restrictive measures mean it is getting very serious for Iran," said Mehdi Varzi, a London-based energy consultant. "The oil market is a big market, and they will always find suppliers, but it is getting more difficult and it is costing more."