This morning, a Republican Guard Commander announced there will be more drills in the vital oil shipping lane again next month. The US and Israel are planning a major missile defence exercise in the next few weeks. We hear from two people who say something more sinister than talk and military drills is well underway: targeted killings, cyber-war, mysterious explosions, drone surveillance: a cold or covert war that may be approaching a volatile stage where it's difficult to contain.

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Three of The Current

A Covert War with Iran

This morning, Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced more naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz next month. As for U.S. and Israeli forces, they come together in the next few weeks for what's called a major missile defense exercise. The drill is to improve defence systems and cooperation between the two militaries.

An Israeli official says the event was planned long ago, and has nothing to do with recent Iranian military posturing. Maybe. But in a region that's always tense, the military temperature seems dangerously high. A captured U.S. spy drone, a new round of sanctions, Iranian threats to blockade the Strait of Hormuz ... it sounds an awful lot like a prelude to war.

But according to Art Keller, the United States and Iran already are engaged in a kind of war ... involving subterfuge, cyber-attacks and maybe even political killings. Art Keller is a former Case Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency's counterproliferation division. He's now a freelance writer on intelligence, non-proliferation and counterterrorism issues and he's the author of a forthcoming novel about the CIA and Iran. He joined us from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Covert War with Iran

It may look like the situation is about to overheat. But Trita Parsi believes there's still time for diplomacy. He's the founder of the National Iranian American Council and the author of the new book, A Single Roll of The Dice: Obama's Diplomacy with Iran. Trita Parsi has advised the Obama Administration on Iran and he was in Washington.

Related Links:

• Iran test fires cruise missile in show of strength By Nasser Karimi - Associated Press
• Signs of a Covert War Between the U.S. and Iran By: Richard Clarke - ABC News
• Mysterious blasts, slayings suggest covert efforts in Iran By: Ken Dilanian - Los Angeles Times
• We're already at war with Iran By: Jordan Michael Smith - Salon
• Parsi: Without renewed diplomacy, war with Iran lies around the corner By: Trita Parsi - CNN
• U.S., Iran Both Squandered Opportunities for Détente By: Barbara Slavin - Inter Press Service

Last Word - The Bomb

Now, we've been talking today about the rising tensions between Iran and the US. An Israeli satirical site, Latma, recently posted a video featuring a man purporting to be the Iranian Minister of Destruction. He has musical plans for the end of the world.

On today's Last word, we played Latma's cover of a Tom Jones hit.

Other segments from today's show:

• OxyContin Addiction in Northern Ontario (Pt 1)
• OxyContin Addiction in Northern Ontario (Pt 2)