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Iran to concede only in case of imminent U.S. strike - expert

Iran Materials 5 September 2012 14:37 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 5 /Trend S.Isayev/

Iran will only concede if there is a real deal on the table or when a US strike is imminent, Senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, James M. Dorsey told Trend.

Commenting on the recent U.S.-Israeli search-and-rescue exercises and Iran's upcoming military maneuvers, Dorsey said both of those serve several purposes including diplomacy.

Israeli and American naval counterparts spent the last week holding a joint search-and-rescue exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.

A few days ago Commander of Iran's Khatam Al-Anbiya base, general Farzad Esmaili said that Iran will hold massive anti-aircraft military exercises in late October - early November.

Dorsey believes the joint U.S.-Israeli exercises is a message to Iran in terms of any effort to block the oil flow through the Persian Gulf.

"That is also more so in view of the U.S. setting up a radar shield in Qatar, Turkey and Israel that would neutralize Iranian missiles," he added.

Dorsey also noted that these exercises are part of an effort to deter an Israeli strike on Iran, adding that it can also be viewed as another try to force Washington to commit to military action if negotiations with Iran fail.

"With regard to Iran, it is brinkmanship. Iranians are less concerned with the impact of an Israeli strike and more concerned about the punishing damage the U.S. could mete out," Dorsey noted.

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