Steeljaw Scribe

The term tipping point describes a point at which a slow gradual change becomes irreversible and then proceeds with gathering pace. It is derived from the metaphor of a rigid solid object being tilted to a point where it begins to topple.
Couple of observations from the region…
Iran to launch 1st domestic satellite soon - Ahmadinejad
(16 [...]

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“War Is The Unfolding of Miscalculations”
That quote, attributed to author Barbara Tuchman, is generally ascribed to the events that ran up to the First World War. However, it, along with other illuminating principles such as the Rule of Unintended Consequences find a wider, and sadly, more common range of applications including those events presently [...]

Got Pyrolytic graphite for your jet vanes  ? No?  Umm, too bad… (fast forward to 2:33, 3:01 and 3:10):

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(Detailed analysis over at ArmsControlWonk  )  Incidentally, pyrolytic graphite is a Category II controlled item under the Missile Technology Control Regime   (MTCR) which, unfortunately, does not include two of the greatest missile technology proliferators of record, [...]

…and then there’s the jackasses.  The crews of the USS Port Royal, USS Hopper and USS Ingraham clearly showed they were on the side of the professionals,  The IRGN?  Well, here’s an extract from today’s press conference with ADM Cosgriff (C5F/NAVCENT):
 

Q     Sir, Jonathan Karl with ABC News. A couple of quick things. One, the Iranian Foreign [...]

Unlike most sales, arms sales have a wider impact beyond the primary parties (buyer/seller) and indeed, the recent announcement of the long sought sale of an improved S300 system to Iran by Russia has a wider circle of interested parties and corresponding impact beyond those two. First, though, we begin with the buyer.
Iran – Filling a [...]

Though it isn’t Thursday when we normally endeavor to post these updates (so sue us - ed.) it would appear that while we in the West are enjoying a typical holiday lull, those elsewhere, and in particular, in Russia are doing anything but.

Item: Iran says Russia to supply new air defence system. TEHRAN (AFP) 1 [...]

… or did it?  Read Here:
 

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Some items of note:

"We cannot rule out that Iran has acquired from abroad—or will acquire in the future—a nuclear weapon or enough fissile material for a weapon."

"We assess centrifuge enrichment is how Iran probably could first produce enough fissile material for a weapon, if it decides to do so. Iran [...]