Iran Reminds the U.S. it Can Deliver 'Retaliatory Strikes' Anywhere

The latest in posturing from Iran involves reminding the world (and the U.S. in particular) that it has long-range missile that could hit the U.S. anywhere -- which is hardly surprising, since Israel was making that claim last week.

The latest in posturing from Iran involves reminding the world (and the U.S. in particular) that it has long-range missile that could hit the U.S. anywhere -- which is hardly surprising, since Israel was making that claim last week. For their Scary News Item of the Day about Iran, outlets like Reuters and MSNBC are latching onto comments made by Seyyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi, Iran's ambassador to Russia, at a news conference in Moscow. "The Americans know very well what Iran is like and what our potential is," Sajjadi said. "Iran is in a very good position to deliver retaliatory strikes on America around the world ... An attack on Iran would be suicidal for them."

Like the time Iran reminded us that it controls a lot of oil via the Strait of Hormuz, the latest chest-thumping comes after more sanctions, this time from Malaysia on palm oil exports and China on iron ore imports. January also found Iran was boasting of a successful long-range missile test, though the distance figure Iran gave back then was only 200 kilometers. But perhaps there's some credence to today's claim if Iran's main enemy in the region, Israel, which had been talking up similar long range missile capabilities, is to be believed. Israel's deputy prime minster claimed that Iran was close to developing a missile that could travel 10,000 kilometeres (scarily the approximate distance between D.C. and Tehran), though it's in Israel's self-interest to get the U.S. to see Iran as much of a threat as it does. Just as it's in Iran's interest to make the U.S. think it can retaliate if attacked.