Iran - its only going to get ugly from here...

The lead Iranian nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani has let it slip that they were fooling the Europeans and stalling for time in order to finish a nuclear fuel processing facility in Isfahan.

Mr. Rowhani addressed the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution and told his audience: "When we were negotiating with the Europeans in Tehran we were still installing some of the equipment at the Isfahan site … In reality, by creating a tame situation, we could finish Isfahan."

Of course the reason for the deception and lies by the Iranians is to continue “peaceful nuclear work” and it is the west that is conducting a broad disinformation campaign against Iran.

Meanwhile back in Tehran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called on the United Nations nuclear agency to compensate Iran for its suspension of nuclear activities in 2003. In addition Iran warned that if the issue of it’s nuclear program should go to the UN Security council, it would begin large-scale enrichment of uranium.

Apparently Mahmoud and Hassan need to talk on whether their nuclear enrichment program ever really stopped!

Also ABC News is reporting today that the most deadly armor piercing IEDs found in Iraq are, get this, made in Iran.

"I think the evidence is strong that the Iranian government is making these IEDs, and the Iranian government is sending them across the border and they are killing U.S. troops once they get there," says Richard Clarke, former White House counterterrorism chief and an ABC News consultant. "I think it's very hard to escape the conclusion that, in all probability, the Iranian government is knowingly killing U.S. troops."

I feel something is going to break shortly, the rhetoric is increasing from the US Administration and even some of the Europeans are out of character and requesting Iran halt “all nuclear research activities”.

If it comes to the UN Security council Russia and China may opposed any imposition of sanctions on Iran. Russia is deeply involved in the Iran’s nuclear power program and China has recently made large oil purchasing agreements with Tehran. Therefore, the US may need to create an outside coalition to keep the pressure on Iran.

What does the Iranian Revolutionary Guards commanders think of all the speculation of possible US military action if things continue to degrade? Not much, according to them we’re only bluffing.

Deception and belligerence from a Middle Eastern state and purveyor of terrorism, where have we seen that before?

Update on belligerence 3/8/06 - 18:30 est : Iran today threatened the United States with "harm and pain" . A developing story at the Drudge Report is that Iran already has enough enriched uranium gas to produce 10 nuclear weapons .

And the UN's IAEA chief ElBaradei is urging Western and Iranian leaders to "lower the rhetoric".