For those of you who haven't been following the details, I've put together a one month timeline of the lead in to what I believe is the impending war between Iran and Israel.
- September 6, 2009 – Report: Missing ship carried arms to Iran
A Russian ship whose disappearance in the English Channel set off an international search was carrying a secret cargo of arms bound for Iran, sources say.
The Sunday Times of London quoted unnamed Israeli and Russian sources as saying that despite assurances from Moscow that the Arctic Sea was carrying only a load of timber when it disappeared on July 24, it was actually being tracked by the Israeli spy agency Mossad because it was hauling advanced S-300 missiles to Iran.
The ship vanished en route from Finland to Algeria and was found off West Africa Aug. 17.
http://www.upi.com/...
- September 12, 2009 – ‘Missing’ Netanyahu Made Secret Trip to Russia
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret trip to Russia, a deputy prime minister confirmed on Saturday, but declined to give specific information on the mission.
"He was in Russia. It created some controversy about the way it was published in Israel," Dan Meridor told Reuters while in Geneva for an international conference.
"The content was not discussed in public. Some things are better discussed (privately)," Meridor told Reuters.
http://www.foxnews.com/...
- September 19, 2009 – Israel Finds Strength in Its Missile Defenses – Advanced System Could Alter Strategic Decisions in Region.
ASHKELON, Israel — As it pushes for international action against Iran’s nuclear program, Israel is steadily assembling one of the world’s most advanced missile defense systems, a multi-layered collection of weapons meant to guard against a variety of threats, including the shorter-range Grads used to strike Israeli towns like this one and intercontinental rockets.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
- Sep 21, 2009 – Jerusalem - US ships arrive in Israel ahead of joint drill.
US Navy missile ships started arriving in Israel on Sunday ahead of next month’s joint missile defense exercise between the IDF and the American military’s European Command.
Called Juniper Cobra, the exercise will include the Arrow missile defense system as well as three American systems – the THAAD, Aegis and PAC3 – that will all be deployed in Israel for the duration of the exercise.
http://www.jpost.com/...
- Sep 21, 2009 – Barak to Gates: Time frame must be set for Iran sanctions
Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday met with his US counterpart Robert Gates in Washington, and stressed that there must be a time frame for the sanctions imposed on Teheran.
"The harsh sanctions imposed on Iran must be limited in time. Israel is not taking any option off the table, and means what it is saying," Barak told Gates.
http://www.jpost.com/...
- September 22, 2009 – US developing bunker-buster bombs
Super bombs are being fast-tracked by the Pentagon for possible use against nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran. So massive, the GBU-57A/B or Massive Ordnance Penetrator or MOP can only be delivered by a B-52 or a B-2A.
The Pentagon is accelerating by three years plans for a super bunker buster, the GBU-57A/B or Massive Ordnance Penetrator or MOP, a powerful new bomb aimed squarely at the underground nuclear facilities of Iran and North Korea. The gargantuan bomb—longer than 11 persons standing shoulder-to-shoulder or more than 20 feet base to nose, weighs 30,000 pounds. Some 18 percent of its total weight is comprised of explosives.
http://www.speroforum.com/...
- September 24, 2009 – UK chief of staff pays quiet visit
For the first time in over a decade, the British chief of defense staff, Air Chief Marshall Sir Jock Stirrup, visited Israel earlier this week for a short meeting with IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and other senior officers, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
The British Embassy in Tel Aviv confirmed that Stirrup had visited Israel earlier this week, as well as the Palestinian Authority. Spokeswoman Karen Kaufman refused to reveal additional details of his trip, which was kept under wraps by Israel and the UK.
http://www.jpost.com/...
- Sept. 25. 2009 – PITTSBURGH — Obama, Sarkozy, Brown issue ultimatum over second Iran uranium plant – Haaretz – Israel News
Backed by other world powers, President Barack Obama declared Friday that Iran is speeding down a path to confrontation and demanded that Tehran quickly "come clean" on all nuclear efforts and open a newly revealed secret site for close international inspection. He said he would not rule out military action if the Iranians refuse.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
- September 26, 2009 – Obama, Sarkozy, Brown issue ultimatum over second Iran uranium plant – Haaretz – Israel News
Obama stood with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to accuse Iran of building a secret nuclear fuel plant.
Using harsh diplomatic language, the three leaders issued a strongly worded joint condemnation Friday over the existence of a second Iran uranium enrichment plant, revealed earlier this week by Tehran.
Appearing together to issue a statement ahead of the opening of the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh, all three condemned the actions of the Iranian government, and warned that Tehran has a limited deadline to comply with international requirements or face tighter sanctions.
http://www.haaretz.com/...
- September 26, 2009 – U.S. Knew About Site for Years
WASHINGTON — Though President Barack Obama dramatically disclosed the existence of a covert Iranian nuclear enrichment site in front of world leaders Friday, U.S. and some foreign spy services have been watching the site for years.
The underground site near the holy city of Qom is one that the U.S., Britain and France "have followed for a few years," said a senior administration official. U.S. officials also regularly discuss Iran’s nuclear program with Israeli officials.
http://hpb.online.wsj.com/...
- September 26, 2009 – Report: New Iran nuclear facility will be operational soon
Iran’s newly disclosed nuclear fuel facility will soon become operational, an aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted as saying on Saturday.
The statement came a day after U.S. President Barack Obama demanded that Iran come clean about its nuclear program or face "sanctions that bite" after the disclosure of the new uranium enrichment plant under construction south of Tehran.
"This new plant, God willing, will soon become operational and will make the enemies blind," Mohammad Mohammadi-Golpayegani, who heads Khamenei’s office, said, according to the semi-official Fars News Agency.
http://www.haaretz.com/...
- September 26, 2009 – Israel Tells US, Time To Act On Iran
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the U.S. to take action over a newly revealed Iranian nuclear facility in a phone conversation with American lawmakers, an official in his office said Saturday.
Netanyahu spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a number of unidentified U.S. senators and told them that now is the time to act on Iran. Israel maintains the Islamic republic is seeking nuclear weapons.
"If not now then when?" the official quoted Netanyahu as saying. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak with the media.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
- September 27, 2009 – Iran Test Fires Short-Range Missiles
TEHRAN — Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard said it successfully test-fired short-range missiles Sunday in drills meant to show Tehran is prepared to crush any military threat from another country.
The display of force comes days after the U.S. and its allies warned Iran over a newly revealed nuclear facility it was secretly constructing.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
- September 27, 2009 – U.S. defense chief: Iran intends to develop nuclear arms
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said he believes Iran intends to develop nuclear weapons, after the recent discovery of a secret uranium enrichment facility in the Islamic Republic.
http://www.haaretz.com/...
- September 28, 2009 – Iran tests Shahab 3 missile
Iran has test-fired the surface-to-surface Shahab 3 missile, which defense analysts say could hit Israel and US bases in the Gulf region.
http://english.aljazeera.net/...
- Western powers condemn Iran tests
Western powers have condemned Iran for test-firing its most advanced long-range missiles, with the White House calling the move "provocative".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/...
- September 28, 2009 – Syrian official invited for talks in Washington
A senior Syrian official has been invited to Washington for talks, a US Embassy official said Monday, in the latest signal of the Obama administration’s efforts to improve relations with a country deemed a state sponsor of terrorism.
The upcoming visit by Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad is the first in about five years and is part of US efforts to improve strained relations with Damascus.
Mekdad, who is currently in New York as part of the Syrian delegation to the UN General Assembly meetings, will fly to Washington on Monday for talks with US government officials on "a range of issues," the embassy official said.
http://www.jpost.com/...