Russia tries to save Iran from USA's military attack

The first round of Russian-Iranian negotiations about the establishment of a uranium-enrichment joint venture has finished in Moscow. The meeting between Russian and Iranian officials (Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Russia, Sergei Kislyakov, Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Valentin Sobolev and Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council of Iran, Sayed Ali Hosseinitash) took place behind closed doors.

Photo: Russia tries to save Iran from USA's military attack

Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov stated prior to the start of the talks in Moscow that Russia was holding restricted expectations towards the forthcoming talks. “Russia will try to use the thesis about the respect of Iran’s right for the nuclear fuel cycle after IAEA experts clarify all points that they had in the past pertaining to the Iranian nuclear program,” the minister said.

When the meeting in Moscow was over, the press service of the Russian Security Council released a very short statement: “The talks will be continued.”

As Sergei Lavrov was summing up the results of the meeting, the minister said that Russia continued to insist on the observation of the uranium-enrichment moratorium in Iran. Russian officials also emphasized that the nuclear problem should be solved within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

As a matter of fact, the long-expected negotiations in Moscow were held in the form when Russia and Iran simply explained their positions to each other. Things have been left right where they started. Yevgeny Satanovsky, the Director of the Middle East Institute, said that the talks with the Iranian delegation in Moscow demonstrated the Islamic country's final stance on the nuclear problem to the whole world. “Tehran does not intend to avoid the attack. It is ready for an armed conflict,” the specialist said when the results of the futile negotiations were exposed.

It brings up the idea that the talks with Russia were included in a certain plan of actions, which the Islamic state has been taking to avoid a military attack from the USA. Russian diplomats pursue the same goal. A military conflict on the territory of a strategically important partner is highly unprofitable to Russia. If there is no chance to find a mutually acceptable decision in the talks, one can create an appearance of a fruitful dialogue.

Sergei Kiriyenko, the chairman of the Russian Atomic Agency, Rosatom, is expected to come to Iran to continue the talks. However, the Russian official's visit to the Islamic country holds vague hopes for a dramatic turn in the dialogue between Russia and Iran.

It is worthy of note that Iran’s spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has recently released a statement about the need to continue rendering financial assistance to Palestine and support Hamas. It looks like Iran has started looking for partners in the event an armed conflict breaks out with the USA and Israel. Iran prefers to create a coalition with the country, the ruling organization of which is recognized a terrorist movement in the whole world.

The second stage of negotiations with the Iranian delegation has finished unusually quickly. The Iranian delegation left Russia at 2:00 p.m. Moscow time. The talks continued for only 80 minutes. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the ministry would release a special report on the results of the talks. “I would not use the word “failure” when talking about the negotiations,” the minister said. The talks will continue in Tehran on February 23^rd.

GZT