Good article on the Falklands operation, but coming back to the present day operation and your last comment on Trump and the Iran nuclear weapon.
The Iranians have rejected the idea of getting nuclear weapons, of wanting nuclear weapons (although this may now change) and this is backed up by all non-political motivated intelligence in the West. All of their nuclear activities have been within the NPT (Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty) - even the enrichment of unranium to 60% (the limit of allowable civil enrichment). The negotiations, carried out now apparently in bad faith by Trump, should have been a slam dunk. It should have been the easiest treaty to negotiate by the 'Master Negotiator', but that is now toast.
Now the question becomes; Are Netanyahu and Trump going to become the Fathers of the Iranian Nuclear Bomb? Intelligence indicates that Iran's nuclear programme is only delayed a few months. There will be increasing pressure on the Iranian Government to go nuclear from inside the country - to prevent the attacks that took place by the Israelis. It may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. And this is not to talk about Israel's strategic defeat in failing to collapse the Iranian Government and get the US involved in Regime change should Plan A have failed.
You are right that they could produce a nuclear device pretty quickly at anytime - they have the knowledge and the potential material, but they had (past tense) not. You had better hope that the Iranian Government adheres to its founder's Fatwa against the development of the bomb. The danger is not that Iran will use the bomb - they are a very rational actor - but that the Saudis, the Egyptians and the Turks will develop their own - their rationality not so much. Essentially Israel and the US have killed off the NPT - the lesson of Pakistan, North Korea and Israel on one hand, and Iran, Lybia and Iraq on the other is that if you want to stay exssitentially safe as a state then get a nuclear weapon.
Wow. I hope Flight Lieutenant Martin Withers and others were appropriately decorated.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
https://www.legendseu.com/pages/martin-withers
The crew were mentioned in dispatches. More details here:
https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/40th-anniversary-of-op-black-buck/
Good article on the Falklands operation, but coming back to the present day operation and your last comment on Trump and the Iran nuclear weapon.
The Iranians have rejected the idea of getting nuclear weapons, of wanting nuclear weapons (although this may now change) and this is backed up by all non-political motivated intelligence in the West. All of their nuclear activities have been within the NPT (Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty) - even the enrichment of unranium to 60% (the limit of allowable civil enrichment). The negotiations, carried out now apparently in bad faith by Trump, should have been a slam dunk. It should have been the easiest treaty to negotiate by the 'Master Negotiator', but that is now toast.
Now the question becomes; Are Netanyahu and Trump going to become the Fathers of the Iranian Nuclear Bomb? Intelligence indicates that Iran's nuclear programme is only delayed a few months. There will be increasing pressure on the Iranian Government to go nuclear from inside the country - to prevent the attacks that took place by the Israelis. It may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. And this is not to talk about Israel's strategic defeat in failing to collapse the Iranian Government and get the US involved in Regime change should Plan A have failed.
Iran has perpetually hoodwinked the West. It was close to having the bomb. This is just the opening salvo.
You are right that they could produce a nuclear device pretty quickly at anytime - they have the knowledge and the potential material, but they had (past tense) not. You had better hope that the Iranian Government adheres to its founder's Fatwa against the development of the bomb. The danger is not that Iran will use the bomb - they are a very rational actor - but that the Saudis, the Egyptians and the Turks will develop their own - their rationality not so much. Essentially Israel and the US have killed off the NPT - the lesson of Pakistan, North Korea and Israel on one hand, and Iran, Lybia and Iraq on the other is that if you want to stay exssitentially safe as a state then get a nuclear weapon.