The Iranian foreign minister ended his interview with the hottest possible words, ‘and in fact it can’t be called anything but a shameless attack, we consider it a conspiracy and will study suitable reactions soon’
‘What kind of reaction?’ a reporter asked.
‘I can’t speak about something not decided yet, for now I just say we can’t support our enemy by the oil while they threat us day and night’
‘Are you speaking about closing the Hormoz waterway? Or even more advance oil boycott including Iran allies also?’ the reporter continued.
‘Let’s not to speak about not happened yet actions,’ Said the FM.
‘But you know your country have accepted international agreements not to use oil as weapon, isn’t it an illegal decision if happen?’
‘Yes it is,’ the FM remarked, ‘but I ask you, is it internationally legal to violate a country and arrange operations to destroy their national peaceful industry? Is it legal to trick and trap a nation into a war against their will? In bigger scale it is not also legal to boycott, spread propaganda and threaten a nation for the sake of its independence’

Esfahan, military base
Mar. 25th, 4 PM

‘You may need to move from here’ Raha told Roy.
‘What was with you this morning?’ he asked, ‘I bet it was more than the political games, something had happened to yourself’
Raha didn’t resist the idea, slowly brought her cell phone out and showed him the last message. It said in Arabic, “Where are you Raha? I’m alone.”
‘At least your wife’s not as lonely!’ she said.
Roy looked up, ‘your husband’s Palestinian, right?’ he asked.
Raha looked away and whispered ‘yes’
‘Palestine is a mysterious confusing issue.’ Said Roy, ‘who’s responsible? God knows.’
‘Still confusing? At least the 22 day war on Gaza lit up the facts, if not evident before’ said Raha.
‘Well, Israel had a right of defense, Hamas fire rockets to Israeli civilian parts, any country would react’
‘The occupiers have no right of defense and the occupiers have no civilians’
‘there are people not armed, living in towns and bringing up their kids, someone passes and blows himself up and kills them, rockets rain on their heads, what should their government do? Sit and watch? If one’s government don’t support their citizens who must do it?’
‘Well I don’t support the blind suicide bombing, no body does, also suicide is forbidden in Islam, and it is stopped now.’ Said Raha ‘Once they did… what I could tell such an oppressed nation? Go die? If it was the last choice before death to hurt the occupier, could I condemn it?’
‘Rockets continued’
‘Sure! … Once Saddam of Iraq attacked and occupied the sought of Iran (khorram-shahr town plus Abadan and others), we fired back missiles to them. Did the occupier have any right of petition? No! And, they didn’t have any right to enter and massacre my people. (mentioning the 22-day war on Gaza, over 1300 people killed)
‘Hitler occupied France, not only Frenchmen, but even you, the US, fought him, and Nazi had no right to scream out: o stop these terrorist Frenchmen! Russia occupied Afghanestan, people never stopped fighting them.
‘We are against all of the occupiers of the world. Either Muslim Saddam, Christian Hitler … or Jewish israel!’
‘Anyway even Palestinians suffered the radical groups like Hamas, they must have been dealt’
‘Radical groups?! But Hamas was the democratically elected government of Palestine, in an election under the supervision of UN!
‘They were boycotted as soon as elected (resource), their officials, even parliament members  were seized by israel(resource), voters were imprisoned in Gaza and banned from food, medicine, fuel and the right of living!
‘And then called terrorists for sending a rocket back! Where on earth is democracy dealt like that?’
‘It all was because they didn’t recognize Israel; they can stop extremism and be free then’
‘Whenever you recognize Nazis to own your country, then come and advise these people to recognize the domination of Zionists and immigrants … That freedom you give them is not freedom, it’s slavery!’
‘Then they must stand the fruit of their actions, no state in the world would tolerate rockets raining on its towns’
‘No state in the world would enter another territory and begin slaughtering for rockets that can’t even blow up themselves.’
‘I don’t justify slaughtering, but rocket attack is not a joke’
‘oh … I know, they show you a wall a little bit ruined, or a little soil falling from a ceiling as a rocket hits it, a hand making rocket fallen around not even been able to destroy its own shell, then they show these again and again, then tell you, o see, what great dangers threaten our lives!! They don’t show you the flattened Gaza.
‘The total death toll of israelis within war time was 4, that died by Russian Grads not hand making miserable Qassams, vs. 1300 Palestinians that over 400 were children! Isn’t it a joke to laugh at for days?!’(50)


‘See I’m saying Israel has a historical right to live in that land, where should they collect again if they want to? Anywhere but the territory they once used to live?’
Now Kaveh came in with Omid, saw Raha and said, ‘hey! Commander, happy to see you here’ got in and sat beside Roy. He said ‘I have a news, the nuclear bomb is unlocked.’
‘How did they do this?’ Roy said surprised, ‘it was coded; dangerous rays will be radiated if opened’
‘They are scientists not school children buddy, and yes it’s been wisely coded, they worked day and night.’ Said Kaveh, ‘it can give us the upper hand’
Then pressed Roy’s hand as he used to.
‘What will happen next?’ asked Roy, ‘what will you do with your upper hand?’ then turned to Raha and continued, ‘where do you want to send me? Can’t you even be merciful enough to let me stay here, where this man presses my hand?’
‘Is he going to leave this base Major?’ Kaveh asked Raha.
‘err… the intelligence say there are signs Americans have guessed were the Major can be’ replied Raha, ‘there were hopes they didn’t act, but the action today showed they will, especially having experiences with them like Tabas, it’s crazy to risk.
‘Nothing’s certain, I don’t agree with moving him, I don’t think other bases are more secure than this and I don’t want to see him in a prison
‘Even we were about to solve problems and let the Red Cross come in, but …’
She didn’t end the sentence.
Roy sighed and leaned to the wall behind.

Britain, London
Same day

Rose was very happy; the official of Red Cross had told her they are getting to good agreements with Iran. He told her to return the day after that meant today, she was very impatient, her attendance was planned to be informed to Iran and she was sure she could speak with Roy today.
After a short waiting, she was now in the office.
‘I don’t know how to say Mrs. Harding! … Your country’s determined a semi-attack to Iran, an imagery of an attack’s been arranged to provoke Iran to respond and Iran’s considered it a hostile action and halted all of the humanitarian attempts and agreements, they can’t trust us anymore!’
‘What it means?’ she asked shocked, the shouted, ‘what do you mean?’
‘I understand your concerns Ms, but unfortunately we can do nothing, Iran’s cut off all of negotiations now, Iranians don’t have a good background from the west, it’s difficult to trust, and with that action of the US …’
‘I’m not a history or political affairs student sir!’ she got up and cried, ‘your duty is to protect the health of my husband. Do it! Now!’
The official sadly kept silent, all of what he could do for the young woman was sympathy.

When she walked out from the main Red Cross department of London, she couldn’t believe what she’d heard. She was a strong woman; just she needed some time to recover.
Stayed in a corner and picked up Bee from the perambulator. After one hour she was at the door of British foreign affairs ministry.

‘I know you have much better relations with Iran, I haven’t come so many miles overseas to hear no and go back’ she told an official.
‘I see, even before your coming, the foreign ministry were doing their best lady. The United States is our closest ally and we would not hesitate any helping if we can. The diplomatic affairs have their own delicacies; we were getting closer to Iran, then …’
‘I know! An uninvited attack destroyed everything!’ she said angrily.
She spoke with them for an hour, but it bore absolutely no fruit.
Disappointed and tired, she walked from street to street, hours passed, NGOs had sympathized with her and promised to make any pressure they could, but it was all they could do.
It was night now, a new idea was coming to her mind again and again and again, Iran embassy!
She had refused the idea many times, but it appeared the only way. They don’t have such a thing as Iranian embassy in the United States, it wasn’t her option at all, but at last she decided she couldn’t lose this chance.

She didn’t know if it was open or not in such a time, but she took a taxi and asked the address of embassy.
At the door she was stopped and was told it was closed long before. The secretor, leaving the building got surprised to see a woman with a baby there in such a time.
She had tears, sitting on the bench, not knowing what to do. She couldn’t wait one more night. She was going mad.
The secretor pitied her and asked of her identity.
‘I’m Rose Harding, wife of Roy Harding, the pilot you have kept away from his wife and 2 week old baby!’ she introduced herself.
The secretor was very surprised, asked for her passport, and unbelievingly looked at her baby. ‘You must be in the United States now Ms!’ he said.
This time she burst into tears.
‘Wait here’ he said and rushed back into his office again. She sat down on the bench again and began praying, ‘o Lord, all of those I was hopeful to, are unable to help, everybody thinks of his own benefit, everybody thinks of his own problem. In this terrible state, please please help me!’
Minutes passed. The secretor came out and said, ‘I called the ambassador Ms. I told him about you and he’s coming here, please come in and wait a little more’
She couldn’t believe her ears first, sounded like a dream better, in the office, the secretor offered her some Iranian tea and sat on his desk, ‘it must be very vital for you that’s pulled you here from your country, wouldn’t it be better to leave the diplomacy to politicians?’
‘No’ she answered, ‘we are the last thing you politicians think about, you just botch everything, I was crazy to wait for so long’
Then the secretor didn’t say anything and silence followed.
The door opened and the ambassador entered. Rose got up immediately to shake hands with him. But he pulled back his hand and just greeted warmly and asked, ‘are you Mrs. Harding?’
She didn’t know why he didn’t shake hands and felt uncomfortable and disappointed again.
‘How can I help you lady?’ he asked.
Tears ran into her eyes again and whispered, ‘all what I want is to speak with my husband, just let me know he is healthy, let him hear his baby for only two seconds!’ and she couldn’t go ahead anymore.
The ambassador began thinking, he couldn’t explain about the complication of politics and many security problems they worried for. He knew nothing could be explained to her for she wouldn’t listen.
‘It’s almost midnight in Iran, give me 24 hours, ok?’
She picked up her head, her eyes shone!

The USA, Washington DC
Same date

‘Is the pilot’s location exactly apparent?’
‘Not exactly General, but we got near’ the intelligence chairman answered.
‘In Tabas the location was exactly known, still we failed’ said the Major General.
‘Whenever you want to forget about Tabas Sir? Tabas was an exception, if we hesitate they will move him from there, we’ll lose everything’
The Major General sat down, he still believed it was crazy, but said ‘ok, I hope the intelligence designs a really perfect operation, or Iranians will hit us again.