Iran Nuclear Watch: Russia Warns Against Threatening Iran

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, center, and Iranian Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh, left, visit a model of an oil production platform in the Tehran’s Oil, Gas, Petrochemical Show, in Tehran on Friday, April. 21, 2006.

ASSociated Press: Russia Warns Against Threatening Iran

A top Kremlin diplomat warned against threatening Iran with sanctions or the use of force, saying that would only aggravate the international standoff over Tehran’s suspect nuclear program, Russian media reports said Saturday.

Rather than getting Iran to stop uranium enrichment, a tougher stance could result in Tehran’s total refusal to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, said Oleg Ozerov, deputy director of the Foreign Ministry’s Middle East and North Africa Department, according to ITAR-Tass.

“We firmly stand today for resolving the problems in and around Tehran diplomatically rather than militarily. Increasing international pressure on Iran has no prospects,” Ozerov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

Flap and the United States knows that international pressure on Iran is going NOWHERE. It has been NOWHERE for decades as Iran has clandestinely enlarged their uranium enrichment and nuclear weapon facilities.

Russia is tied economically and militarily to Iran. Russia needs Iran’s petro currency to modernize its economy and military. Iran needs Russia’s nuclear expertise and military hardware. A union made for two totalitarian states.

So, what is so surprising?

The United States and European allies are pushing for sanctions because of Iran’s refusal to suspend its enrichment program, as demanded by the U.N. Security Council. They suspect Iran is trying to develop atomic weapons in violation of its treaty commitments.

The Iranian regime insists the program has only the peaceful purpose of generating electricity. Russia, which has close ties with Iran and is building that nation’s first nuclear power plant, opposes sanctions.

Despite what U.S. and Russian officials have described as increasingly close positions on the Iranian nuclear program in recent years, they appear far apart heading into the Friday deadline set by the Security Council for Iran to stop enrichment.

Russia and China have their side deals with Iran. They will never vote to sanction Iran – not that sanctions would work anyway.

When the “POINT OF NO RETURN” is reached, the United States and Israel will take out (by military operations) Iran’s nuclear facilities.

What is Russia going to do? Militarily defend Iran against the United States and begin NATO attacks on Russia?

Doubtful.

In the meantime, the United States shoudl afford no trade opportunities for Russia and/or China. The G8 meetings in St. Petersburg should be interesting. Russia better have good economic deals with the Muslims because they have just been cut off from America and the rest of the G8.

In fact, the G7 should kick Russia’s ass out of the G8 because of Putin’s refusal to ensure democratic and political freedoms for the Russian people. This Iranian allegiance with Russia has NOT helped them.

The United States and Britain say that if Iran doesn’t meet the deadline, they will try to get the council to make the demand compulsory, which would raise the possibility of sanctions.

Seeking to avoid having the sanctions issue come before the council, Russian officials argue that the International Atomic Energy Agency should take the lead for the United Nations in trying to resolve tensions over Iran’s nuclear program.

Ozerov stressed Russia’s opposition to the use of force against Iran – an issue that got close attention in state-run Russian media after President Bush said last week that military action could not be ruled out.

“The forceful option is extremely dangerous and not constructive,” ITAR-Tass quoted Ozerov as saying during a seminar on global security.

The report added that Ozerov also warned Iran against making belligerent statements.

And what will happen next week?

The IAEA will report to the United Nations Security Council that they cannot confrim certain aspects of Iran’s nuclear program and that Iran continues to enrich uranium despite the security council requesting them to stop.

The security council will then entertain resolutions written by the United States and Britain. These resolutions will go NOWHERE.

The United States will then impose their own sanctions (travel, economic and military) against Iran.

Iran will respond.