http://www.foxnews.com/...,585143,00.html



Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that Iran is set to deliver a "punch" that will stun world powers during this week's 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution, AFP reported.

"The Iranian nation, with its unity and God's grace, will punch the arrogance (Western powers) on the 22nd of Bahman, February 11, in a way that will leave them stunned," Khamenei, who is also Iran's commander-in-chief, told a gathering of air force personnel according to AFP.

The country's top cleric was marking the occasion when Iran's air force gave its support to revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a key event which led to the toppling of the U.S.-backed shah on February 11, 1979.

His reported comments came as Iran said it would begin to produce higher enriched uranium from Tuesday, in defiance of Western powers trying to ensure the country's nuclear drive is peaceful.

This year's anniversary is expected to become a flashpoint between security forces and supporters of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who charge that the June re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was rigged.

Opposition supporters are expected to stage anti-government protests on Thursday when the traditional regime-sponsored marches to mark the revolution take place across the country.

Mousavi renewed his call for demonstrations on the February 11 anniversary.

Just over a week ago, he and Karroubi had implicitly called for a gathering of their supporters.

"The 22nd of Bahman is upon us, truly it should be called the day of gathering," Mousavi said on his Kaleme.org website Monday, according to AFP.

"I feel we have to participate while maintaining the collective spirit as well as our identity and leave an impression," Mousavi said.

"Anger and bitterness should not take our control away.

"The clerics should know that since imprisonment, beatings, and other confrontational methods are done in the name of Islam and the Islamic regime, it is hurting Islam and we all should try to stop," he added.

Anti-government protests were first triggered after the June 12 presidential election won by Ahmadinejad.

Over the past eight months, several thousand people were arrested. Some were released and others were given hefty prison terms, among them politicians, journalists and human rights activists.

Two protesters were tried, convicted and hanged in the aftermath of the election.

Khamenei told the air force personnel the "most important aim of the sedition after the election was to create a rift within the Iranian nation, but it was unable to do so and our nation's unity remained a thorn in its eyes.

Whatever. Let's be sensitive to other cultures and their way of doing things. Okay?

Just heard on the news that 2 opposition members were recently executed for the crime of being "an enemy of God."

Wow, that's quite an indictment, no?

LOL.

While a nuclear Iran is quite dangerous, I really feel that Isreal would be on them like flies on shit before they ever tried to do anything.

whats our contingency plan if Iran gets nukes?

Iran is not too highly thought of in the middle east by other countries.

Doesn't the Iranian government always make threats like this every year?

Anyway, if something actually does happen you can be damn sure that commander Hope'n'Change will be ready to retaliate with some serious finger waving, and if the situation is serious enough, some sanctions and maybe even a letter!

Iran will challenge Obama. All new presidents get tested by someone. Obama is perceived as weak and ineffective. Weakness always draws a challenge. Strength does not.

Obama IS weak, other countries perceive it, but we know it.

YEAH!!! He's weak! He'll never shoot those pirates!!

The only way Iran will shock me is if the ayatola steps down and the move towards freedom and democracy. Any violence, threats, nuclear tests, bombing Israel, killing gays, what ever, is not going to shock me.

I agree with Pat...however, this too - I've been reading Biblical prophecy and though AA's words are likely sabre-rattling, it could (operative word is 'could')be time for Isaiah 17:1 occuring Thursday. Meaning, the obliteration of Damascus, Syria and the same with Egypt. It will happen, just a question of timing. Plus, he said 'the West' which might not be Israel but a WMD or EMP in the U.S. somewhere.

Iran are trying to start a pissing contest. They say stuff like this every year. The collapse of Iraq as an independent nation has lead to a power vacuum in the Middle East that Iran, a Shi'ite muslim country is occupying to the detriment of other nations like Saudi Arabia (sunni islam nation) this has lead to other sunni islamic nations technically 'on our side'(Saudi Arabia, Egypt) seeking nuclear weapons to protect themselves. This address is more directed to them than it is western nations

John- how do you go about your day while constantly terrorized?

in any case, israel is the size of a cupcake; any nuclear threat is a big, big deal.

Iraq still requires active support from the US to uphold its government. Without it (and I'll say the surge helped) it would not function as a viable nation. In addition Iran isn't scared of Iraq like it was in the years during and after the Iran-Iraq war. Iran knows it's weak. It's the only big kid on the block in the Middle East. This is its way of saying it