Has The Powder-Keg Been Ignited?

There are a few huge developments in the Middle East, each of which could have ignited the Middle East. We should know in a fews days if indeed we have reached a tipping point. Below are the most pertinent articles and from the most mainstream news sites just for convenience and expediting this report. There will be more later tonight and updates are certain to be coming in.

7 Dead In Bombing Of Israeli Bus

32 injured after attack on Israeli tour bus at the Burgas Airport in Bulgaria on 18th anniversary of Iran-sponsored bombing of Jewish center in Argentina; Bulgarian FM in touch with Liberman, headed to site.

Seven people were killed and 32 injured when a bomb exploded on an Israeli tourist bus at the airport of the Bulgarian city of Burgas on Wednesday, the 18th anniversary of the Iran-sponsored attack on the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Lets quickly move to the significance of this terrorist act and how it could precipitate a tipping point:

Netanyahu Vows "Forceful Response To Iranian Terror"

Iran and Hizbullah appear to bebehind the blast in Bulgaria Wednesday, which took place on the 18th anniversary of the AMIA attack in Argentina that killed 85.

Voice of Israel Radio's militarycorrespondent said that Hizbullah and Iran are indeed the main suspects, but did not make the connection to the meaningful date. The AMIA terror attack was also perpetrated by Iran and Hizbullah.

"All signs point to Iran" as the perpetrator of the murderous terror attack in Burgas, Bulgaria, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Wednesday evening.

"Iranian terror continues to strike at innocents. Israel will respond with force to the Iranian terror," he said.

"Eighteen years ago today, in the morning hours of 18 July 1994, a murderous attack was carried out against the Jewish community center AMIA (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina) in Buenos Aires. It was the second attack against Jewish and Israeli targets on Argentinian soil – the attack on the Israeli embassy took place only two years previously.

"The sorrow and grief caused by this attack is compounded by the fact that those responsible for this horrifying act, as for the one preceding it, have not yet been brought to justice. After years of investigation, the Argentinian magistrate concluded in 2007 that Iran was behind the attack and responsible for dispatching the murderers.

Israel Has No Doubt About Who Is Behind The Deadly Attack In Bulgaria

Prime Minister Netanyahu, apparently supported by detailed intelligence, did not hesitate to point the finger at Iran over the attack in which seven Israelis died, and 33 others were wounded

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, apparently supported by detailed intelligence, immediately blamed Iran for the terror attack on Israelis in Bulgaria that killed seven people.

If this is so, the man behind the attack in Burgas would be Gen. Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, who operates the Guards' overseas operations. Hezbollah assists Quds, but the Lebanese group has been less effective since Imad Mughniyeh's assassination in 2008.

Netanyahu warned on Wednesday of "an Iranian terror attack spreading throughout the world." He promised that "Israel will retaliate forcefully."

Apart from the fear of other attacks abroad, yesterday's events are worrying because of the region's increasing lack of stability. Assad's regime hangs in the balance, Iran is allegedly responsible for killing Israelis abroad, and Israel is approaching decision time on the Iranian nuclear threat. In view of all this, the chances that this summer we'll be able to focus on the social protest and on drafting the ultra-Orthodox are dwindling.

Former U.S. Official Envoy To UN: Israel Poised To Strike Iran After Bulgaria Attack

Former United States Ambassador to the UN John Bolton believes that Israel is poised to launch a direct attack on Iran in the wake of yesterday’s terrorist bombing in Bulgaria.

And there are many more articles on this evolving situation detailed above and we can elaborate later on the ramifications. Now we move on to the next story and another potential tipping point which is rapidly drawing to a climax:

"Syria Bomb Will Speed End Of Conflict"

A suicide bombing that killed three of Syrian President Bashar Assad's top military officials on Wednesday will speed the end of the uprising against him, the head of the opposition Syrian National Council said on Wednesday.

"This is the final phase. They will fall very soon," Abdelbasset Seida told Reuters in an interview in the Qatari capital Doha. "Today is a turning point in Syria's history. It will put more pressure on the regime and bring an end very soon, a matterof weeks or months."

The bomb killed Assad's powerful brother-in-law, the defenseminister and a top general, bringing the battle to the heart of Assad's power-base and sparking fighting across Damascus.

Israel Worried About Fallout From Syria Bombs

The suicide bombing that killed top members of Bashar Assad's inner circle "is a 7 on the Richter scale," a senior defense official said Wednesday, predicting that Assad's days were numbered as leader of Syria.

“We believe that the assassination of the top Syriangovernment officials will speed up Assad’s downfall,” Barak told Panetta, who is scheduled to visit Israel later this month. “We are also closely tracking the possibility that Hezbollah will try to move advanced military platforms or chemical weapons from Syria to Lebanon.”

In recent weeks, senior officials have said in meetings withforeign guests that Israel is particularly concerned about one of three scenarios. The first is concern about the transfer of Syria¹s chemical weapons to a third party like Hezbollah.

The second worrisome scenario is the fragmentation of the country, whereby certain parties or even a lone gunmen may gain access to bases with chemical weapons or other weapons systems, and then try to use them against Israel.

And the third scenario is the possibility that Assad - feeling his back against the wall – will decides to take Israel with him, and as a result fire everything he has toward Israel.

"The entire country is in shock, and has been in shock for a year and a half, but what happened today is earth shattering," a senior defense official said. "Assad is living on borrowed time. He won't want to see himself hung in the town square."

Top Syrian Minister Killed In Damascus Attack

Senior Defense Officials Hold Emergency Talks On Syria

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday met with senior militarycommanders to discuss the recent escalation of violence in Damascus. Barak is expected to brief Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on events in Syria later this evening.

Earlier, a bombing in the Syrian capital struck the inner circle of embattled president Bashar al-Assad, leading to speculation that the violence rocking his crumbling regime could spill over into neighboring countries – including Israel.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz is expected to assemble the entire General Staff on Wednesday to evaluate the security of Israel's northern border.

Below, we see an update on Iran and their threats to block the Strait of Hormuz - a story which has (unbelievably) been forced to the back burner due to the situations described above:

U.S. "Won't Allow" Iran To Close Strait Of Hormuz

US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Wednesday vowed Washington will not allow Iran to close the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s leaders have threatened to close the Strait – through which one-fifth of the world's oil exports flow – unless sanctions against their critical oil shipments are lifted.

Panetta said the “Iranians need to understand that the United States and the international community are going to hold them directly responsible for any disruption of shipping in that region by Iran or, for that matter, by its surrogates.”