Iran: US still keeps option on table to attack nuclear sites

Iran remains worried the US will take a pre-emptive attack. Not clear the US has the forces to sustain extended combat operations should Iran retaliate.

The diplomats are mulling things over. Recall the Iranians did seize some boats that wandered into Iranian waters; it was only the diplomats that put a leash on the generals, and stopped an invavsion into Iran.

Mind you there is still some rumbling to expand the theater of operations, to create a buffer zone and clean out the possible staging areas in Syria and Iran.

The problem compounds itself should the US actually believe there are credible threats in neighboring countries, extend their forces, and do so at the very time that China moves against Taiwan.

Economic incentives at the expense of corporate governance

There's bound to be some pressure on China and Taiwan; someone's putting together an incentive program for the Chinese in exchange for Taiwan to bring economic benefits and money flows to the mainland. It remains to be seen how much corporate governance issues are cast aside in an effort to cool the water between Taiwan and China.

There's plenty of trade between Iran and China. Despite the technology exports from China to Iran [thereby contributing to DC's problems], the State Department is doing more of the "oh, no big deal" routin. Strange, actual evidence of military support gets a yawn; but when there are rumors of shipments to Iraq, we go to war. The North Koreans know: There is a credible threat-barrier to US meddling and threats if there is a nuclear option, so why would anyone beleive they'd give up this option, especially when granted food supplies with strings attached?