While the Big Three networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) were still captivated by Meryl Streep’s attack against President-elect Donald Trump Monday night, they neglected to report the turbulence in the water off the coast of Iran. “An American naval ship fired warning shots at Iranian vessels yesterday,” announced Fox News’ Bret Baier during Special Report, “The latest escalation in the increasingly dangerous game of chicken Iran seems to be playing with U.S. ships in the region.”
The ordeal seemed quite harrowing according to correspondent Jennifer Griffin, “At 8:00 A.M. local time Sunday morning, four Iranian fast boats traveling at high speed came within 900 yards of the USS Mahan.” In response the Navy vessel fired machine guns in their direction, Griffin also noted that the Iranian sailors were manning their weapons. The USS Mahan was escorting two other Navy vessels, “A Marine amphibious landing ship with 1,000 US Marines on board, and a Navy oil tanker.”
Since the signing of the Iran Nuclear Deal, there has been a marked increase in Iran’s attempts to menace US vessels, not that the networks would report it. And there was even more troubling news out of Iran, Griffin explained:
An increase in ballistic missile tests that Iran has conducted several times since the signing of the nuclear deal. U.N. Security Council resolutions have done nothing to halt Iran's missile tests or ongoing proliferation of weapons. In Iran today, lawmakers voted to expand military spending to 5 percent of Iran’s budget.
The network’s blind-eye to Iran got even more absurd after the Fox News correspondent reported that, “The U.N. Security Council weighs a last-minute push by the UN’s nuclear watchdog, led by outgoing US diplomats, to send 130 tons of natural uranium to Iran…” According to Griffin, the uranium would serve to “keep Iran committed to the nuclear deal.”
In a more current report by the AP, not only was the Security Council mulling over the idea but they actually approved it. “Iran is to receive a huge shipment of natural uranium from Russia to compensate it for exporting tons of reactor coolant, diplomats say, in a move approved by the outgoing U.S. administration,” the AP stated.
“The concern among nuclear deal skeptics, Bret, is Iran could hold on to the natural uranium until the restrictions begin to expire in ten years,” Griffin continued, “It could be enriched to enough weapons-grade uranium for ten simple nuclear bombs, according to some experts.”
With the networks still bewitched by the sentiments of out of touch Hollywood elitists, it seems as though they are content to allow world events to pass them by. And the activities of America’s enemies along with it.
Transcript below:
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FNC
Special Report
January 9, 2017
6:16:27 PM EasternBRET BAIER: An American naval ship fired warning shots at Iranian vessels yesterday. The latest escalation in the increasingly dangerous game of chicken Iran seems to be playing with U.S. ships in the region. Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin has the latest tonight from the Pentagon. Good evening, Jennifer.
JENNIFER GRIFFIN: Good evening, Bret. At 8:00 A.M. local time Sunday morning, four Iranian fast boats traveling at high speed came within 900 yards of the USS Mahan. That’s when the US Navy destroyer was forced to fire three warning shots at the approaching Iranian boats. The Mahan fired .50-caliber bullets in the direction of the four vessels, whose sailors we now know were manning their weapons. The US guided missile destroyer was escorting two US warships into the Strait of Hormuz. A Marine amphibious landing ship with 1,000 US Marines on board, and a Navy oil tanker.
Iran's revolutionary guard corps has been conducting an annual exercise, in the Strait of Hormuz, stimulating maneuvers to shutdown the entrance to the gulf, where much of the world’s oil passes each day. That exercise is ongoing.
Right now there is -- there are no U.S. aircraft carriers in the Middle East. The USS George H.W. Bush has been delayed in the ship yards by six months due to sequestration budget cuts. Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, wrote to the head of the Navy late last week, quote, "The absence of an aircraft carrier harms our force projection capabilities and limits some of our military’s flexibility to quickly respond to any number of unforeseen events that may arise."
Unforeseen events like an increase in ballistic missile tests that Iran has conducted several times since the signing of the nuclear deal. U.N. Security Council resolutions have done nothing to halt Iran's missile tests or ongoing proliferation of weapons. In Iran today, lawmakers voted to expand military spending to 5 percent of Iran’s budget. This, as the U.N. Security Council weighs a last-minute push by the UN’s nuclear watchdog, led by outgoing US diplomats, to send 130 tons of natural uranium to Iran with the hope that the transfer will keep Iran committed to the nuclear deal. This was first reported by the AP.
JOHN KIRBY: Such transactions were always anticipated throughout the process of working towards the deal. Natural uranium is an internationally traded commodity. It's not usable in its natural form for building a nuclear weapon.
GRIFFIN: The concern among nuclear deal skeptics, Bret, is Iran could hold on to the natural uranium until the restrictions begin to expire in ten years. It could be enriched to enough weapons-grade uranium for ten simple nuclear bombs, according to some experts. That wouldn't be possible under the current international monitoring arrangement however, Bret.
BAIER: Jennifer griffin, live at the Pentagon. Jennifer, thank you.
