Iran official: Sanctions might slow nuclear program

It's not what they put in the interview, it's whether is is believable. The Iranian claims are not in light of the threats that Ahmadinejad has made about destroying Israel.

I only intended to correct the error in translation. I have not been optimistic to them and I am very warry about the situation they have created for the people of Iran by vast repressions.However, what I see in Iran, this time,they really want to get a reconciliation with Europe. My understanding from the recent interviews and news from Iran is that they are ready to transfer a part of the operation out of Iran to ensure they are not going to build bomb , ( Salehi insisted in this interview that now they return consumed fuel of Boshehr into Russia under agence supervision ,inducing they are ready for such measures for their other operations. I heard similair news from other officials close to them). They are ready to gradually cooperate to west to build trust. I think this time at first US and later Israel can acheive a peace deal with Iran. But it seems that both US and specially Israel do not have any plan and initiative for peace, and going to send their war sooner than their peace.

He said the regime will vanish within the sands of time or something of that nature. What's worse is that the quote was taken out of context. Ahmadenijad was quoting what the Khomeni said years earlier. He also mentioned that Khomeni said the Soviet Union and Saddam must be removed. Both were but not by Iran. Therefore Ahmadenijad seem to imply that what Khomeni has recommended has become reality. He never even mention the name Israel in the entire speech. The Israel wiped off the map part came from a mistranslation by Iran's news agency. Even the pro-Israel Middle East Research Institute gave a proper translation of Ahmadenijad's speech. I wouldn't be surprised if Haaretz mistranslated what the Iranian official said here as well. After all you can't propaganda if you can't create good enemy sound bites. An official stating the cap Iran will enrich to doesn't help spread the "Iranian nuclear weapons program" narrative.

So, they are prepared for a double plans vis-a vis US double plan. Yesterday, most of Iranian news agencies wrote that millitary should take US attack threat seriously , and Russians also warned for an imminent US attack.It looks they are not happy for war, but have taken the threat very serious.The news about cooperation of saudi and UAE makes war more real than ever for the Iranians.In fact, now they are more and more convinced that US and Israel will not come along in any condition.It is very dangerous if you make them conclude so, because they would feel any cooperation with agance would be considered as weakness.

Don't flirt with GBU-28s. The terrorist vendetta will be so horrible you'd like never to have even uttered this. Iran's fast pace towards nukes is reversible if something bites. But in the end, what bites today, may not continue to bite endlessly. This regime, with nukes is the end of status quo of tense calm peppered with quick wars. It is the end of moderation and the beginning of Iran's monologue of power in the Middle East and beyond. The safest thing to do is to shift the focus from bombing to regime change. A year ago, it was boiling over, and yet Obama, who was a key figure, didn't lift a finger. It should be done. The sooner the better. Then, with a more transparent regime, one can negotiate and dismantle the nuclear weapons programme altogether. Yet the Ayatollahs will fight back inside Iran. A civil war may be the result of such an attempt, like what we see in Afghanistan. That's why it is so tempting to make the mistake of bombing. It is a fatal mistake to do so. It will rally Iranians behind its horrendous regime.

Regime change is preferred but this group of tyrants have already castled in their middle eastern chess game for regional hegemony. They have confiscated their most powerful and comprehensive national assets such as their defense forces, Revolutionary Guards, Basiji, police force, along with their banks, judicial system, natural resources, major businesses, etc., and they don't plan on leaving office anytime soon. You saw the bloodshed in the streets when the captive Iranian population tried to protest the obvious political coup which had the outright loser Ahmadinejad in the last election with only 5 million votes regain the presidency against Mousavi with his landslide victory of 25 million votes. It's a very messy solution to this dilemna but the drone of stealth bombers outfitted with bunker busters flying over the Regime's national nuclear treasures and directly threatening the Iranian homeland might be the only music the mullahs will be forced to dance nicely to.

Whichever regime is in power in Iran, their embition to create a nucklear weapon will continue. It was not the present regime that started to develop the nuke. Nucklear reasearch in Iran was started with the Shaw and intensified under the Ayatollahs. Iran has alwayshad ambitions of being the area super power and whatever regime is in power the attempt to develop a nuke will continue.

You are true in that they have controled every resource in country. They have sent to bankruptcy private business and what survived would be killed by your great sanctions. So now they have every force in country and kill and attack and say to people whoever they like. The war, sanction and external threat are exactly the thing they need to regain their lost legitimacy. In fact , these instruments have been the traditional means of this government to survive . In this way that in contrast to what you say, 80 percent of Iranians hate them, but nobody like attacking to Iran. So, with current sanction and attack threat, the persians in fear of loosing their country become united and government is saved. In fact, your sanctions has already curbed the natural improvement and resistance in the country against the government by putting people life in miserablity. You have helped to close country and get force of any non-governmental source which could bring change.

regime change is not in the cards. a regime change would require a successful revolution. successful revolutions are extremely rare, and they occur only after long maturing process. a successful revolution requires new, young and comitted leadership. iran does not have in place any outstanding leaders that are truly independent of the regime. the so-called opposition leadership is hardly different in its aims to acquire nuclear weapons or its views of israel. the only possible solution, as stephen says, is to come from tzhal. the risks would be great, but the risks of waiting for a revolution that might or might not overthrow the regime at some unknown future time, are much greater.

Don't lift sanctions. What Iranians say is one thing, the truth and the intention is quite another. You just fell into their chess game. They say it's hurting them. Check it out first. They may well say so for you to say "let's lift the sanctions". As for "not above the 3,5 % level", they have long surpassed that level.

They already have enriched to the level of 20%. What is your point?

Iran idea was to stop enrichment to 20% needed for the research reactor. So far they have done that on an experimental scale. If they stop enriching above 3.5%, no nukes.