Middle East about to catch fire again...

I'm thinking the Israeli activity is a little more than just Saber Rattling. These people normally don't screw around or play games...

We've got Israeli practicing "raids" in Iraqi airspace...
Iraq

In anticipation, oil, after going down, has shot back up again...
Oil

Iran Photoshopping missles...
Iran

USA claiming it will defend Israel and interests in the Gulf...
Condoleezza

...and OPEC, buddied up with Iran and it's massive oil supply warning against unlimited jump in oil prices if Iran is attacked.
More oil


I'm no doom-sayer, but I think it's going to go down here in the next week or so, and I'm hoping it's an Israeli raid, with close USA supervision. It's bad enough they'll be launching from US-IrAq; some democracy we've brought to that country. But if we jump on the wagon and send some planes over to take out Nuclear falicilities in Iran, I'm moving to Canada, and we may as well start digging the bomb shelters all over again.
Between Russian ties to Iran, and Russia being pissed about missle sheilds going in in Europe, who knows what they'll try to do. They might not be capable of much, but still, it'll be more than we've dealt with in some time.
Syria could take advantage of the "distraction" and hit Israel at home. Who knows would be on board with them, as everyone in that region, with the exception of Israel has wanted Israel gone since the beginning of time.
The Iraq situation could slip into a lower level of hell, with the people of Iraq revolting against the occupying force.
Regardless of all the China talk, "What will China do"? I don't see them doing much. I think they're smarter than that.

A relative who was in WW2 always said that the next big war will start in the Middle East. That's painfully obvious now. It's just a matter of when. Maybe this will be the spark that ignites the powder keg.

I'm savvy enough to know better than to guarantee anything when it comes to the Middle East but my feeling is hostilities are not imminent. Israel will attack Iran if the Iranians don't play ball but they know there is still time to let, or appear to let, all diplomatic avenues run their course. Israel isn't stupid and knows that a military strike without exhausting all other means first would isolate her even further internationally (and that's not counting the global effects of an oil price rise such a strike would generate)and put the United States in the unenviable position of supporting this action diplomatically and militarily when engaged on two other fronts. I'm confident the US has made this known to the Israelis.

That's not to say we shouldn't be concerned, I just wouldn't bet the farm that things will hit the fan within weeks. The saber-rattling from both sides is just posturing. Get worried when Israel suddenly becomes very quiet.

Yeah definitely nothing immenent in my opinion. I think they are going to give diplomacy a shot for a while and let it at least look like they are exhausting that route first so that if/when an attack is made, it will look like it really is last resort.