Back today and the first thing I read is a news story about a strike just outside of Tehran... Will post the link later I'm posting this from the phone...

Edit: So far it seems it's just an explosion.

I think this is it.

Blast at arms depot

sheesh...not on a sunday!

in class the other day we had an intersting chat, 1 turk, some balkans and me (australian) about the "threat" of iran. It is funny how geography makes you consider how threatening Iran is. Even if we agreed on the likely hood of an Iranian problem (anything really) as a % our responses to the threat changed significantly. And what we determined as a problem!

5% of Iran with Nuclear Capability and of that 1% of Iranian using the weapons hostily

turk=wreck them!
Balkan = strong sanctions
me=ignore them lol

My opinion? they are learning the lessons from history maintaining a nuclear deterent is cheaper than a conventional one and keeps people on their best behaviour....

Agree with you,and those people in Iran are not stupid.

Wonder if we will ever get to learn the truth about this explosion.

I know accidents happen but happening close enough to an important general (leader of surface to surface missile development) to take him out is surprising.
Most generals keep a long way away from anything likely to go bang; they have lots of people to take that risk for them.

ww3 ?
Who will fight on Iran's side ?

Depends who will fight on the 'other' side.

Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan & Turkey are threatened. Iraq may want to settle a few scores.

My cynical view is that the big powers (USA, Russia & China) will get fed up at the continual interruption of their oil supply & the ensuing high prices due to uncertainty & divide the Middle East up between them. Bit like happened in Germany after WW2.

thats what they tried and ultimately failed in ww1, it could have worked if it wasnt for us turks bloodying their nose in Gallipoli

I would guess maybe China? Support Iran for guaranteed access to Persian Gulf oil? Its been hypothesized before, and it does make some sense...

The Turks fought bravely in ww1 to keep their brutal empire. They lost and the winning europeans added the middle east to their less brutal ones - The borders they drew between their new possesions are still largely in place.

China would much rather have a reliable "Stan" in iran to supply them with oil (See TurkmeniStan's gas pipeline). Russia would be equally happy with this solution. add a kurdish state to the equation and everybody is happy (Shia fanatics opinion may differ)

Yes, but most of the 'Stans' don't have the military moxy of Iran. An Iran-China axis could control the Persian Gulf and pull the 'Stans' in as client states (face it- I don't think they'd ally with Russia), which would give China two routes of access to the oil. Couple this with China's growing influence in Panama (canal) and this could foretell of an economic crisis in the West...

What "Military moxy" ? The Iranians almost lost to the Iraqis, which the U.S beat in about 10 days (long weekends, no overtime). They can not control the gulf - at most, they can block it for a while. blocked oil won't help china.

You apparently refer to independent Northern Azerbaijan with Capital Baku, but forget the rather bigger Southern Azerbaijan with Capital Tabriz. The general staff or Iran in fact is Azeri dominated and Ayatollah Khamenei is an Azeri as well.

Turkey is not really threatened, while Saudi Arabia IS, as Iran may want to ignite tensions in the majority-wise Shi'ite el-Hasa province with all the oil there. A rebellious el-Hasa, combined with a rebellious Bahrain would indeed be a threat to the Saudi kingdom.

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Iran does NOT control the Arabian/Persian Gulf, and China, while eager to co-operate with Iran, will not anger the Arab side of the Gulf, as China also maintains good relations there. And a harshly pro-Iranian stance of China might force the Arab states on the Arabian Gulf into new alliances.

"Widely conflicting reports emerge of apparent huge explosion in the north-east of Isfahan near where Iran nuclear facilities are located."

Must be time to clean out & ready the atom bomb shelter in my cellar

take your time, Iranian sources claim it was a Whoopsie during a training exercise.

That is a relief.

Training with large & live explosives

Lots of accidents recently - will their insurance cover thrm or is it selberschuld ?