While the media today is reporting threats and statements by Iranian government officials the numbers from the economic sector tell a different story. Iran has been in an economic inflationary spiral for some time. The government there was trying new measures since about last July to reduce the inflation rate. They did appear to be having some effect. The annual rate dropped from over 50% to under 40%. Then came the disastrous attack on Israel. The free market value of the Iranian Rial or Toman (new replacement for the Rial at the rate of 10 Rials = 1Toman) nosedived to about a fifth of the pre-attack value. Iranian investors on the Tehran Bursa appear to be in a panic, selling off their investments.
Many ordinary citizens have been withdrawing cash and converting it to gold or some other stable currency. And all this is happening before the USA and EU impose a new round of sanctions. Local media in Iran is totally under government control (sound familiar?) but, has been said, bad news travels fast. I don’t see this as a potential trigger for an attempt to overthrow the government, but it is definitely a very serious problem for a regime that has been unable to stabilize their own economy.
The threats from Iranian diplomats and generals seem to me to be a desperate attempt to avoid the potential consequences of an Israeli military response.
Israel has stated that a response will come. What, where, and when remain undisclosed. I, personally, hope the Israeli government decides on something that will hurt Iran, but not to the extent that they would be drawn into an all out war.
Wetherhorn 