In the cyber era, war is no longer just fought with guns and missiles on the battlefield. To incapacitate an enemy, all one has to do is infiltrate the opposition’s computers. This enables hackers to steal vital classified information as well as infect the systems with all sorts of malware.
Computers in Iran and other Arab nations have been attacked with a vicious virus. While no culprit has claimed responsibility for the attack, Israel has hinted that it may have some involvement.
The virus is being called the Flame, and Israel’s Vice Prime Minister, Moshe Ya’alon, stated that the cyber-attack is expected and justified given Iran’s history of making threats. He also added that Israel prides itself on its technological capabilities, which opens a wide door for the country to carry out various objectives while remaining under the radar.
The virus was initially detected by Kaspersky, an internet security firm. Flame is a malware with file transferring capabilities and is also able to record audio and keystrokes.
Ilan Proimovich, a Kaspersky representative, stated that Flame is operated via remote computer, which means it only becomes active when commanded to do so. This makes it extremely difficult to detect.
This is not the first cyber assault on Iran. Back in 2010, the country’s computer system came under attack by a virus called Stuxnet. Both the Flame and Stuxnet share striking similarities, though the former is designed for the purpose of gathering information, while the latter was created for the sole purpose of wrecking as much havoc to the computers as possible.
While the origin of the viruses remains unknown at this point, if Israel is behind it, it is not so adamant about denying it. If Israel is indeed the mastermind behind the Flame, then it could potentially foreshadow a bigger conflict between Israel and Iran in the near future.
In a continued effort by the U.S. and the United Nations to prevent Iran from reaching nuclear capability, a meeting was scheduled in Istanbul where negotiations resumed. Intelligence officials have been working hard to determine Iran’s true intentions with its uranium development program. 
Abassi’s statement, if believed, is a good sign in the right direction. However, another Iranian official released a statement that completely runs counter to Abassi’s announcement. Foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi made his own announcement that Iran has no plans of agreeing to any preconditions before negotiation resumes.
The email is just one of five millions that the firm sent and that was hacked in the December attack. In it, Stratfor analysts apparently obtained information that would indicate an Israeli commando wiped out an Iranian nuclear facility. Some of the company staff discuss how likely that is, and come to the conclusion that it could be true if the Israeli forces cooperated with Kurdish fighters. The explosion at the Iranian facility was seen as possibly being caused by such an attack: “[He] was asked what he thought of reports that the Israelis were preparing a military offensive against Iran. Response: I think this is a diversion. The Israelis already destroyed all the Iranian nuclear infrastructure on the ground weeks ago.” Thanks to the series of emails that followed, the company comes to the conclusion that it may well have happened the way their informant says it did.
These days you need to keep and make new friends. Benjamin Netanyahu and wife visited Cyprus in a historic one day trip. He met with Dimitris Christofias the PM and signed a mutual rescue agreement that allows both countries to send troops for a limited time to the other country in times of a disaster.
Iran’s nuclear ambitions are nothing new. The country has been working on various projects including radioactive materials for decades. In itself, refining uranium isn’t necessarily evil. In fact their claims have always been that they are building nuclear reactors to power their cities. The question of course is whether that’s true, or if they have a secret nuclear bomb program. For Defense Secretary Panetta, there’s no question about it, Iran has all the necessary tools and technology to start working on a bomb. It would apparently take them one year to manufacture enough radioactive material to create the bomb, and then up to another year to create the infrastructure to be able and aim it at any country in the world. He said that the US is fully prepared to stop them if they get the intelligence that they’re in process of doing that.
Mysterious blast in Iranian capital leaves one dead, injures two. Local media reports say blast ‘reminiscent’ of previous attacks on nuclear scientists. 
The second enrichment site, the Fordo plant, which is located near 
The test firing of two long range missiles on Monday by Iran’s Navy solidifies the fear that 2012 is going to be a year or tension between the Iranian government in Tehran and the United States. There were also claims on Monday that Iran has made a breakthrough with their nuclear program. Both of these factors could lead to a dangerous showdown with the allies of the West and the Iranian government. 
Onlookers have said that they heard “death To England†being chanted as the students rioted against police. One protester has been reported as waving a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II while turning over desktops and rummaging through the files of the embassy. 
On Tuesday, the second day of the Great Prophet Mohammad War Games 6, Iran simultaneously test-fired 14 2,000-range missiles at one single target. Enough firepower to spook the geese in all directions. The missiles were launched near the central city of Qom.
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On Tuesday, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry exhibited computers, weapons and secret equipment publicly, which were allegedly used in the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist, Masoud Ali Mohammadi, last year. According to the Islamic Republic, the computer used by the assassins, was encrypted so they could contact their operators while staying outside the country. 
Along with the computer, gun, videos and pictures the minister displayed: 
Israel has historically been apprehensive about U.S. military sales in the Arab world, especially to Saudi Arabia who, while opposed to the current Ayatolla, Ahmadinejad regime, funds terror and does not recognize the Jewish State; ergo, Israel not showing any opposition, let alone a tantrum over the massive deal is a little strange; especially given that last August, the Obama administration cut funding for Israel’s 
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