Iran

[jtmode]

I hope I chose the the appropriate place to post this.  I can't believe the general public does not see how blatant and obvious the events of the last 2 days in Iran have been.  Just yesterday Iran formally told the UN that they would not abandon their uranium enrichment programs and today not even 24 hours later Iran is devastated by a series of powerful earthquakes.  I firmly believe that this is a perfect example of what Stewart talks about.  In my opinion this couldn't be a more obvious display of the "powers that be" artificially generating an earthquake in response to Iran's defiance.  What I am not sure of is which Illuminati family was behind this most recent attack but they are sure getting bold and throwing it right in our face.  The amazing thing to me is that people want to consider this irony and not open their eyes to what is truly going on...

[Richard]

Most people just believe whatever network news tells them. In their mind they see no reason why TV news would lie to them. They don’t have a clue that the news is being controlled.

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Hi there Richard.The Three Earthquakes Sign in Iran from the Illumined Ones, means Iran has been warned that very soon, it will be attacked.The New World Order is part of the Great Work of Freemasonry. Albert Pike in Morals And Dogma goes into great detail on the Three World Wars that Scottish Rite Freemasons planned.The world does need to wake up quickly and changing our Mind Patterns and stopping ourselves thinking like Victims but using Hyperspace Language and Psychotherapy, plus Dream Analysis can stop this sick NWO happening.America, Israel and Britain are being set up against the Muslim World of the Middle East and Central Asia for the final showdown before the Throne Of The World can be won by the Pindar to rule the New World Order.It is sad indeed to see. Iran is an incredible country and one of the first places the Lyraen Martians and Atlanteans travelled into all that time ago.

[DreamTime]

:dude: - good going Avatar.

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Well the Illumined Ones are months and months behind schedule so lets hope these further delays scupper than NWO Plans a little further. On top of this if the Iranian people could think for themselves and not as a 'us and them' level of Subconscious Programming then the Illumined Ones would not beable to mess around with Iran anyway.

[TruthSeeker]

HEllo everyone

There is no doubt in my mind that the quakes in IRAN were cause by the technology BBoys have on hand. What  a coincidence.

TS

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Well, here we have. The Windsor Illumined Ones through the Ministry Of Defence are now planning to attack Iran. So they are telling us but almost nobody is listening as usual.Government In Secret Talks About Strike Against IranBy Sean RaymentDefence Correspondent2nd Of April 2006April 3: Time to leave Iraq, say votersYour view: should we bring the troops home?The Government is to hold secret talks with defence chiefs tomorrow to discuss possible military strikes against Iran. A high-level meeting will take place in the Ministry of DefenceA high-level meeting will take place in the Ministry of Defence at which senior defence chiefs and government officials will consider the consequences of an attack on Iran.It is believed that an American-led attack, designed to destroy Iran's ability to develop a nuclear bomb, is "inevitable" if Teheran's leaders fail to comply with United Nations demands to freeze their uranium enrichment programme.Tomorrow's meeting will be attended by Gen Sir Michael Walker, the chief of the defence staff, Lt Gen Andrew Ridgway, the chief of defence intelligence and Maj Gen Bill Rollo, the assistant chief of the general staff, together with officials from the Foreign Office and Downing Street.The International Atomic Energy Authority, the nuclear watchdog, believes that much of Iran's programme is now devoted to uranium enrichment and plutonium separation, technologies that could provide material for nuclear bombs to be developed in the next three years.The United States government is hopeful that the military operation will be a multinational mission, but defence chiefs believe that the Bush administration is prepared to launch the attack on its own or with the assistance of Israel, if there is little international support. British military chiefs believe an attack would be limited to a series of air strikes against nuclear plants - a land assault is not being considered at the moment.But confirmation that Britain has started contingency planning will undermine the claim last month by Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, that a military attack against Iran was "inconceivable".Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, insisted, during a visit to Blackburn yesterday, that all negotiating options - including the use of force - remained open in an attempt to resolve the crisis. General Sir Michael WalkerTactical Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from US navy ships and submarines in the Gulf would, it is believed, target Iran's air defence systems at the nuclear installations.That would enable attacks by B2 stealth bombers equipped with eight 4,500lb enhanced BLU-28 satellite-guided bunker-busting bombs, flying from Diego Garcia, the isolated US Navy base in the Indian Ocean, RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Whiteman USAF base in Missouri.It is understood that any direct British involvement in an attack would be limited but may extend to the use of the RAF's highly secret airborne early warning aircraft.At the centre of the crisis is Washington's fear that an Iranian nuclear weapon could be used against Israel or US forces in the region, such as the American air base at Incirlik in Turkey.The UN also believes that the production of a bomb could also lead to further destabilisation in the Middle East, which would result in Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia all developing nuclear weapons programmes. Click to enlargeA senior Foreign Office source said: "Monday's meeting will set out to address the consequences for Britain in the event of an attack against Iran. The CDS [chiefs of defence staff] will want to know what the impact will be on British interests in Iraq and Afghanistan which both border Iran. The CDS will then brief the Prime Minister and the Cabinet on their conclusions in the next few days."If Iran makes another strategic mistake, such as ignoring demands by the UN or future resolutions, then the thinking among the chiefs is that military action could be taken to bring an end to the crisis. The belief in some areas of Whitehall is that an attack is now all but inevitable. There will be no invasion of Iran but the nuclear sites will be destroyed. This is not something that will happen imminently, maybe this year, maybe next year. Jack Straw is making exactly the same noises that the Government did in March 2003 when it spoke about the likelihood of a war in Iraq."Then the Government said the war was neither inevitable or imminent and then attacked."The source said that the Israeli attack against Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981 proved that a limited operation was the best military option.The Israeli air force launched raids against the plant, which intelligence suggested was being used to develop a nuclear bomb for use against Israel.Military chiefs also plan tomorrow to discuss fears that an attack within Iran will "unhinge" southern Iraq - where British troops are based - an area mainly populated by Shia Muslims who have strong political and religious links to Iran.They are concerned that this could delay any withdrawal of troops this year or next. There could also be consequences for British and US troops in Afghanistan, which borders Iran.The MoD meeting will address the economic issues that could arise if Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president - who became the subject of international condemnation last year when he called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" - cuts off oil supplies to the West in reprisal. There are thought to be at least eight known sites within Iran involved in the production of nuclear materials, although it is generally accepted that there are many more secret installations.Iran has successfully tested a Fajr-3 Missile that can reach Israel, avoiding radar and hitting several targets using multiple warheads, its military has confirmed.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/02/wiran02.xml&sSheet=/portal/2006/04/02/ixportaltop.html

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Biological Threat And Executive Order 13292 Avian Flu To Be Used As Pretext For Attack, Not Iran's Nuclear ProgramBy Jorge Hirsch4th Of April 2006http://www.rense.com/general70/executiveorder13292.htm History repeats itself, but always with new twists. We are back to the good old days when a Declaration of War preceded the start of a war. Such a declaration occurred on March 16th, 2006.   Reversing the old order, we are now in the "Sitzkrieg", to be followed shortly by an aerial "Blitzkrieg" in the coming days.   In the old days, Congress declared war, and directed the Executive to take action. In the new millenium,   The Executive declared war last March 16th, then Congress will pass H.R. 282, "To hold the current regime in Iran accountable for its threatening behavior and to support a transition to democracy in Iran."   This bill and previous ones like it are in direct violation of the legally binding Algiers Accords signed by the United States and Iran on January 19, 1981, that states "The United States pledges that it is and from now on will be the policy of the United States not to intervene, directly or indirectly, politically or militarily, in Iran's internal affairs"; however, this is clearly of no interest to the 353 policymakers sponsoring the bill.   The US promised Russia and China that the UN Security Council statement just approved will not be a trigger for military action after 30 days; true to its promise, the US will attack before the 30-day deadline imposed by the UNSC for Iran to stop its nuclear enrichment activity, i.e. before the end of April. The "justification" is likely to be an alleged threat of imminent biological attack with Iran's involvement.   The Declaration of War against Iran   In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the Congressional Declaration of December 8, 1941 stated:   " Whereas the Imperial Government of Japan has committed unprovoked acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial Government of Japan which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and the president is hereby authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial Government of Japan."   Similarly, the formal war declaration against Iran, the National Security Strategy of March 16, 2006, stated:   * "We may face no greater challenge from a single country than from Iran."   * "The Iranian regime sponsors terrorism; threatens Israel; seeks to thwart Middle East peace; disrupts democracy in Iraq; and denies the aspirations of its people for freedom."   * "[T]he first duty of the United States Government remains what it always has been: to protect the American people and American interests. It is an enduring American principle that this duty obligates the government to anticipate and counter threats, using all elements of national power, before the threats can do grave damage."   * "The greater the threat, the greater is the risk of inaction ú and the more compelling the case for taking anticipatory action to defend ourselves, even if uncertainty remains as to the time and place of the enemy's attack. There are few greater threats than a terrorist attack with WMD."   * "To forestall or prevent such hostile acts by our adversaries, the United States will, if necessary, act preemptively."   * "When the consequences of an attack with WMD are potentially so devastating, we cannot afford to stand idly by as grave dangers materialize."   * "[T]here will always be some uncertainty about the status of hidden programs."   * "Advances in biotechnology provide greater opportunities for state and non-state actors to obtain dangerous pathogens and equipment."   * "Biological weapons also pose a grave WMD threat because of the risks of contagion that would spread disease across large populations and around the globe."   * "Countering the spread of biological weapons .... will also enhance our Nation's ability to respond to pandemic public health threats, such as avian influenza."   This has to be combined with the 2005 U.S. State Department "FINDING. The United States judges that, based on all available information, Iran has an offensive biological weapons program in violation of the BWC."   In addition, the March 16 declaration makes it clear that the US will use nuclear weapons in the war against Iran:   * "..using all elements of national power..."   * "Safe, credible, and reliable nuclear forces continue to play a critical role. We are strengthening deterrence by developing a New Triad composed of offensive strike systems (both nuclear and improved conventional capabilities)."   ...and this is further reinforced by the just released "National Military Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction" that states:   "Offensive operations may include kinetic (both conventional and nuclear) and/or non-kinetic options (e.g. information operations) to deter or defeat a WMD threat or subsequent use of WMD."   There is, of course, also the claim that Iran is a threat because it intends to develop nuclear weapons. The sole purpose of that claim, which flies in the face of all available evidence, is to generate a diplomatic stalemate at the UN that will allow Bush to state that other nations share the US concern but not the resolve to act. However, the actual trigger for the bombing to begin will not be the long-term and by now discredited nuclear threat, rather it is likely to be the threat of an imminent biological attack.   Casus Belli   There is no casus belli against Iran based on its nuclear program. The IAEA has found no evidence that in the 20 years of its development there has been any diversion of nuclear material to military applications. The Bush administration now officially acknowledges that the issue with Iran arises from a "loophole" in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, that allows non-nuclear countries to pursue uranium enrichment. However it is not a loophole, the right to a full civilian nuclear program is an integral part of the compromise, that made non-nuclear countries agree to it. For the US to call it a loophole means to abrogate the treaty unilaterally and propose a different treaty that non-nuclear countries will have no motivation to agree to.   The Bush administration declares that a civilian nuclear program that gives Iran "knowledge" or "capability" to build a nuclear weapon is unacceptable. It could apply exactly the same logic to biotechnology.   The State Department says that "Iran is expanding its biotechnology and biomedical industries by building large, state-of-the-art research and pharmaceutical production facilities. These industries could easily hide pilot to industrial-scale production capabilities for a potential BW program, and could mask procurement of BW-related process equipment." Why isn't the US demanding that Iran stops its biotechnology research and development, and that it transfers all biotech related activities to Russia?   The key lies in Executive Order 13292, which made information on "weapons of mass destruction" and on "defense against transnational terrorism" classified.   If concrete details about Iran's alleged biological weapons programs were made public, they would be subject to public scrutiny and they would be discredited, as the allegations on Iran's "nuclear weapons program" have been. The US is likely to have "assembled" classified information on Iran's biological weapons programs and shared it with selected individuals, including members of Congress, under the constraint that classified information cannot be made public.   For example, at the June 25, 2004 House subcommittee "MEMBERS ONLY CLASSIFIED BRIEFING on Iran, Middle East Proliferation and Terrorist Capabilities." The unclassified portion of that briefing states "It is time for Iran to declare its biological weapons program and make arrangements for its dismantlement."   There is likely to be a team of "experts" lined up by the administration that will support its claims that Iran had a biological weapons program representing an imminent threat. There is always room in science for differing opinions, and if an open scientific debate is not possible because information is classified, any outlandish claim can find some supporters in the scientific community. The most likely biological threat to be invoked, because it has a natural time element associated with it, is the threat of a bird flu pandemic caused by a deliberately mutated H5N1 virus carried by migrating wild birds.   The Biological Threat   Consider for example Dr. Ward Casscells, a renowned cardiologist that has of late become an "expert" in bioterrorism. Even more recently, Dr. Casscells joined the Army as a colonel . According to the US Defense Department, "his years of research on now-spreading avian flu are now deemed cutting edge."   However, I know of no independent credible scientific body that makes the same assessment: Dr. Casscells has written a total of four papers on the effect of influenza on cardiac disease which have been cited by no other scientists. His paper "Influenza as a bioweapon" has a grand total of 5 citations, meaning a mere 5 other papers refer to it; "cutting edge" scientific papers have hundreds or thousands of citations. His only other paper on the subject, "Influenza as a bioterror threat: the need for global vaccination" has zero citations.   Nonetheless, Dr. Casscells' outstanding credentials as a scientist will be invoked by the administration if he vouches for the credibility of "intelligence" indicating that a dangerous mutated bird flu virus has been developed in an Iranian underground bioweapons laboratory. Dr. Casscells has been surveilling the Middle East to "scope out the possibility for a widespread outbreak" of bird flu. Because he has been advocating the view that "Bird flu is poised to be an explosive problem" and has predicted the use of influenza as a bioweapon, he is likely to be inclined to believe such claims. Similarly his scientific colleagues at the "Defense of Houston" committee, that work on anticipating bioterrorism threats and are highly lauded by the administration and very well funded by Army grants.   The Bush administration has spent vast sums of money in combating bioterrorism threats, reportedly over $7 billion per year, without any evidence or precedent for bioterrorism attacks. Nevertheless there will always be plenty of scientists that will flock to where the grant money is and devote efforts to validate conclusions that are valued by the organizations giving the grants, and news media duly publicize the hyped threat of bioterrorism.   Still, last year over 700 scientists including 2 Nobel laureates signed a petition objecting to the diversion of funds from projects of high public-health importance to biodefense, calling it a "misdirection" of priorities. Dr. Richard H. Ebright, a renowned molecular biologist, states that "A majority of the nation's top microbiologists ú the very group that the Bush administration is counting on to carry out its biodefense research agenda ú dispute the premises and implementation of the biodefense spending."   On the supposed threat of bird flu, while it is continuously being hyped by the administration [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], expert opinion is that it is not a serious threat [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6] and is politically motivated. The blaming of bird flu spread on wild birds is also highly questionable [1], [2].   On March 15th, right before the disclosure of the new National Security Strategy, I suggested the bird flu casus belli against Iran, that would "necessitate" bombing of Iranian facilities before the bird migration season begins in the Spring. Several elements emphasized in the March 16 NSS appear to support that scenario, as discussed above. In a March 20 press conference concerning federal preparedness for avian flu, Secretary Michael Leavitt (who also warned a few weeks ago to store tuna and milk under the bed to prepare for bird flu ) stated "Think of the world if you will as a vast forest that is susceptible to fire. A spark if allowed to burn will emerge as an uncontainable fire. That's a pandemic. If we are there when the spark happens, it can be squelched. But if allowed to burn for a time it begins to spread uncontrollably." An aerial attack on Iranian installations may be touted as the "squelching" of the bird flu pandemic spark.   Does Bush need congressional authorization to bomb Iran? The answer is contained in the Statement by the president of October 16, 2002, in signing into law the congressional authorization to use force against Iraq. It states   "...I sought an additional resolution of support from the Congress to use force against Iraq, should force become necessary. While I appreciate receiving that support, my request for it did not, and my signing this resolution does not, constitute any change in the long-standing positions of the executive branch on either the president's constitutional authority to use force to deter, prevent, or respond to aggression or other threats to U.S. interests or on the constitutionality of the War Powers Resolution."   In other words: "I appreciate Congress' authorization but didn't need it and will not need it next time with Iran."   The War Powers Resolution encourages the president to consult with Congress "in every possible instance", yet allows the president to introduce Armed Forces into hostilities without Congressional authorization; it simply compels him to terminate hostilities within 60 to 90 days unless Congress authorizes an extension. Plenty time enough.   The Attack   It is unlikely that there will be a public announcement of the impending attack before it starts, since it would generate opposition. Allies do not want to be implicated and will deny any knowledge. Who will be officially notified that an attack is about to take place? Most likely, Iran itself.   Direct conversations between the US and Iran are about to start, nominally on the subject of Iraq only. They will also provide the only direct conduit for the US to communicate with Iran without intermediaries. An "ultimatum" unacceptable to Iran, as was delivered publicly to Iraq on March 17th, 2003, could be delivered privately to Iran through that route. The reasons for our actions will be clear, the force measured, and the cause just.   The initial US attack on Iranian facilities is likely to be "measured": a highly accurate strike on selected facilities "suspected" of bioweapons work, with cruise missiles launched from submarines or ships in the Persian Gulf. That is a component of the CONPLAN 8022 Global Strike mission, which recently became operational and also includes nuclear preemptive strikes.   The "clear" reasons and "just" cause for the administration to attack can be stated as follows: if a bird flu pandemic can cause 150 million deaths and there is even a one percent probability that the "intelligence" is right, i.e. even if there is a 99% "uncertainty about the status of hidden programs", the expected number of deaths that would be prevented by bombing the Iranian facilities is the product of those two numbers, i.e. 1.5 million, vastly larger than the few thousand Iranian casualties due to "collateral damage."   Any military reaction by Iran to the attack, perhaps even a verbal reaction, will be construed as "aggression" by Iran towards the US and Israel, and result in large scale bombing of Iranian missile, nuclear and other facilities. Does that sound absurd? Recall that the US and Britain bombed Iraq's no-fly zones well before the Iraq invasion, and Iraqi response was labeled "aggression toward planes of the coalition forces." Nuclear earth penetrating weapons may be used in the initial attack, and certainly will be used in the large scale attack that will follow.   Why will this happen? Because it was "pencilled in" a long time ago. The actions of the US against Iran in recent years have been clearly directed towards a confrontation, to suppress the rise of Iran as a strong regional power that does not conform to US interests.   Can it be Prevented?   A small group of thugs is about to lead America across a line of no return. On the other side of this line there is no nuclear taboo, no restraint on preemptive nuclear attacks on non-nuclear nations, and no incentive for non-nuclear nations to remain non-nuclear. A global nuclear war and the destruction of humanity will be a distinct possibility.   Americans are largely unaware of what is about to happen. Half a million people go to the streets on immigration law, yet nobody is demonstrating against the Iran war that will radically change the life of Americans for generations to come. The more informed sectors of society, scientists, arms control organizations, the media, the political establishment, the military, are not taking a strong stand against the impending war. Congress is silent.   Only people in the know can stop this. Resigning from the job is not good enough [1], [2], [3]. People in the know have to come forward with information that brings the impending attack to the forefront of attention of Congress and the American public and thwarts it. Not doing so is being complicit in a plan that will bring tragic consequences to America and the world.   Else, all that will be left is to bring the perpetrators to justice. Danton, Robespierre, Mussolini, Petain, Ribbentrop, Goering, Ceausescu also occupied positions of power and prominence at some point in their careers.  

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Top UK Brass Plan For US Strike On Iran By Michael CarmichaelThe Planetary Movement Unlimited UK4th Of April 2006http://www.rense.com/general70/topUKbrassplan.htmImmediately after Condoleezza Rice's visit to the North of England for a series of secret meetings and public appearances with Foreign Minister Jack Straw, the UK top brass held their own secret meeting Monday in London to prepare Britain for what they now describe as the "inevitable" US Military strike against Iran.   Chief of the Defense Staff Gen. Sir Michael Walker; Chief of Defense Intelligence Lt. Gen. Andrew Ridgway, and Assistant Chief of the General Staff Maj. Gen. Bill Rollo were scheduled to attend the secret meeting along with top-ranking civilian officials from Downing Street and the Foreign Office.   Experts confirm that the US strike against multiple targets in Iran is positively in the pipeline; only its date remains uncertain. Current White Hall speculation is that the US will strike Iran's nuclear sites at some obscure date vaguely described as sometime later this year or next.   The UK Government's most loyal supporters in the British media have reported plans for the secret meeting of the top brass and begun the process of preparing the UK public for what will be a very unpopular US military intervention.   In a candid lead editorial, the Sunday Telegraph pointed to the oil factor as one of the primary objectives driving US policy in the region and a key element in its plan to bomb multiple targets in Iran.   In Britain, there are grave concerns that the US strike will have a cascade effect and will produce deeply negative reactions across the board in Iraq, the Middle East, and throughout the world. One risk that is being weighed very heavily in White Hall is that the US bombing campaign will strengthen the hand of Iran's controversial president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.   Anticipating massive political repercussions throughout the region, observers are predicting the eruption of strident and violent anti-American protests in Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. Some British officials will argue against any visible UK involvement in what is being seen by many as yet another foolish move on the international chessboard by Bush and Rice one that follows a revealing reference to "thousands of mistakes" in Iraq that were openly confessed by Secretary Rice during her latest high-profile visit to Britain.   Planetary Movement has been informed that the timing of the US strike will be synchronized with the political cycle in Bush's America.   Political intelligence experts based in Washington DC, advise that the US strike against Iran will likely occur between Labor Day (Sept. 4) and election day (Nov. 6) although it could come earlier if the president's popularity continues its precipitous decline. The political spin of the U.S action is now being designed by Karl Rove and his minions to strengthen the weakening hand of a deeply unpopular presidency and to stave off a drastic defeat for the Republicans in this year's midterm elections by galvanizing the American voters with the bombing campaign that will be ballyhooed as"essential for national security."   After their public appearances in the north of England, Rice and Straw unexpectedly boarded Rice's 757 and flew overnight to Baghdad for a face-to-face confrontation with Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari, whom they hope to convince to abdicate his office for a more malleable replacement.   Adel Abdul Mahdi is a Shi'ite politician deemed by Rice and Straw to be a somewhat more reliable pair of hands than Jaafari. Rice and Straw view Mahdi as a political operative who might be somewhat less hostile to US objectives in the region than Jaafari.   In Baghdad, the pair met with President Jalal Talabani and the US Ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, to arrange the ouster of Jaafari and his replacement by Mahdi. The imminent regime change in Baghdad is merely a first step in their preparations for the US air strike against Iran, which will create massive political pressures on the US backed government in Iraq. 

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Iran Tests Second New Torpedo In GulfBy Nasser KarimiAssociated Press Writer 3rd Of April 2006http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060403/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_war_gamesTEHRAN, Iran - Iran successfully tested its second new torpedo in as many days Monday, the latest weapon to be unveiled during war games in the Gulf that the military said are aimed at preparing the country's defenses against the United States. A spokesman for the elite Revolutionary Guards suggested the new, Iranian-made torpedo was more powerful and capable of going deeper than others in its arsenal.General Mohammad Ebrahim Dehghani told state television the ship-launched weapon can target submarines at any depth and is powerful enough to "break a heavy warship" in two. He did not give the name of the new torpedo or any details of its speed or range.The torpedo was tested in the Straits of Hormuz, the narrow entrance of the Gulf and a vital corridor for oil supplies.The United States said that while Iran may have made "some strides" in its military, it is likely to be exaggerating its capabilities."We know that the Iranians are always trying to improve their weapons system by both foreign and indigenous measures," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said in Washington. "It's possible that they are increasing their capability and making strides in radar absorbing materials and technology."But "the Iranians have also been known to boast and exaggerate their statements about greater technical and tactical capabilities," he said.The Revolutionary Guards, the elite branch of Iran's military, have been holding their maneuvers, codenamed the "Great Prophet", since Friday, touting what they call domestically built technological advances in their armed forces.A day earlier, Iran announced it had tested a different new torpedo — the high-speed "Hoot," which means "whale." Iran said the Hoot, moving at up to 223 mph, was too fast for any enemy ship to elude. On Friday, it tested the Fajr-3, a missile that it said can avoid radars and hit several targets simultaneously using multiple warheads.It has not been possible to verify Iran's claims for the new armaments. But the country has made clear it aims to send a message of strength to the United States amid heightened tensions over Iran's Nuclear Program.A top Guards Commander, General Hossein Kargar, said Monday the maneuver aims at preparing the troops in case of attack by the United States, often referred to by Iran's clerical regime as "the global arrogance.""Regarding the threats by the global arrogance, defensive preparation is a task of the armed forces," Kargar was quoted by the state news agency IRNA as saying.Many in Iran worry over the possibility of US Military action in the escalating dispute over Iran's nuclear program, an option Washington has refused to rule out. The United States is pushing for UN Sanctions against Iran, accusing it of seeking to develop nuclear weapons.Tehran denies the claim, saying its program aims to generate electricity, and it has so far rejected a demand by the UN Security Council that it give up Uranium Enrichment, a key part of the nuclear process that can produce either fuel for a reactor or material for a warhead.Hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday the United States and Europe were "confused" if they thought they could stop Iran's nuclear ambitions.Speaking after talks with Guinea's foreign minister, he said Iran would pursue its right to develop nuclear energy but vowed its program would be "transparent" and under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog.More than 17,000 Revolutionary Guards forces, along with some 1,500 warships, boats and aircraft are taking part in the weeklong maneuvers in a 100,000 square mile area of the Gulf.After decades of relying on foreign weapons purchases, Iran's military has been working to boost its domestic production of armaments. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and a fighter plane. It announced in early 2005 that it had begun production of torpedoes, though it was not clear if the ones tested during the maneuvers were the first to be put into action. Iran bought three Russian Kilo Class Submarines in the 1980s and has since said it is producing its own smaller-sized subs, at least two of which are believed to have been built and put in the country's fleet. The United States and its Western allies have been watching in Iran's progress in missile capabilities with concern. Iran already possesses the Shahab 3 Missile, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and hitting US Forces in the Middle East and Israel. Ali Ansari, an Iran specialist at Britain's Royal Institute For International Affairs, cautioned that there is likely "a little bit of bluster" in Iran's claims for its new weapons. "They're trying to impress," he told The Associated Press. They aim to "prove to the West that they can hit Israel and close the Straits of Hormuz. They're saying if you hit us, then we can hit back." Iran's leaders also want to reassure Iranians the country can defend itself. "There's a lot of worry (among the public) over what direction the country is taking, and they want to show that Iran can hold its own against the U.S."