Iran has been in the news today.  The latest reports are that Iran is demanding an almost immediate relief from sanctions upon a signed agreement.  The West is balking and the Iranians consider it deal breaker.  Leaks on the actual agreement say the Iranians will be allowed to keep 6000 of the 10000 centrifuges they have.  The West’s initial position was 1000, then 4000.  Seems all quite illustrative of who occupies the position of strength in the negotiations.

In other news, Peter Vincent Pry executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security a congressional advisory group, confirmed U.S. military officials translated a “secret” Iranian military handbook.  The handbook outlined an attack by Iran with the detonation of a nuclear warhead over the US causing a debilitating EMP that would cause widespread damage that may take up to a year to repair and would cause significant civil upheaval and loss of life.

Iran has secured the Russian Club-K missile system.  Club-K is a missile system, that looks like a shipping container.  Iran has already demonstrated the ability to fire missiles from a freighter.  Armed with a nuclear weapon the Club-K could be used to launch an EMP attack like described above.  Iran has conducted naval patrols off the US coast with warships and tankers.

This is all worth keeping in mind when confronted with the “Iran is a rational actor” argument.