New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) light sweet crude for September, jumped USD 4.27 to settle on USD 91.40 a barrel.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/08/05/254541/oil-prices-soars-over-iran-tensions/
We’re the fuel tax capital of Europe: British motorists pay up to 60% duty and VAT on petrol – the highest figure in the EU
- Without tax duties prices for unleaded petrol would cost 52.8p
- And diesel would be more manageable at 59.8p
British motorists are shouldering the heaviest tax burden in the EU at the pumps, official figures reveal.
Sixty per cent of the price of unleaded petrol and 58 per cent of the cost of diesel is made up of duties and VAT in Britain, the highest percentages in the European Union.
Israel, bracing for possible attacks by Iran and Syria, upgrades Arrow missile defense system:
https://twitter.com/captainlousy
Israel is upgrading its ‘Arrow II’ missile shield over fears of possible attacks by Iran and Syria. The ‘Block-4’ system is currently being installed and deployed across the country, a senior Israeli defense official said on Sunday.
The Block-4 completed a successful test-run by the US Missile Defense Agency and the Israeli Missile Defense Organization in February. The system, which has been in development for over four years, provides greater accuracy and the ability to intercept missiles even further away.
http://www.rt.com/news/israel-missile-defence-upgrade-892/
Iran tests upgraded version of short-range missile, says can hit sea targets
I think it’s rather unprecedented that a former US Defense Sec’y would give an interview saying Israel can’t trust the U.S.!
“Rumsfeld further criticized the pattern of leaks emerging from White House concerning Iran, and said that “If I were in the Israeli government, I don’t think I would notify the United States government of any intent to do anything about Iran. So my guess is, given the pattern of leaks out of the White House, that any prime minister of Israel would not call the United States and give clear intentions as to what they plan to do.”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4264412,00.html
Wartime tasks split: US to smash Iran’s missiles, Israel tackle Syria, Hizballah
An authoritative US military source said Sunday, Aug. 5 that the American armed forces are standing ready for war with Iran.
Without going into the thorny question of who should lead the operation to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, the US or Israel, it is understood that one of the US Air Force’s tasks will be to destroy Iran’s Shehab-3 ballistic missile batteries which have Israel and Saudi Arabia within range.
This task is not as formidable as Iranian spokesmen would have the world believe.
Tehran’s entire stock of those missiles is no more than 30-40.
That quantity is not nearly enough to take on the entire gamut of potential wartime foes, the United States Middle East bases, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and Turkey.
They would quckly be picked off by American Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Systems and Israeli Arrow guided interceptor rockets, which are synchronized through the advanced US X-Band radar systems installed in the Israeli Negev and southeast Turkey.
ALERT: MPs, admirals to discuss Strait of Hormuz
TEHRAN – During a meeting on Sunday, the MPs sitting on the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee and the commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Naval Force and the Iranian Navy will discuss the latest developments in regard to the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
http://www.tehrantimes.com/politics/100268-mps-admirals-to-discuss-strait-of-hormuz-
