USA prepared to undermine its relations with Russia to strictly punish Iran

The six countries participating in the regulation of the Iranian nuclear program crisis have come to a stumbling block in their views of the future actions to be taken against the rebellious country. The USA insists on tough international sanctions against Iran. Russia offers not to rush with such decisions but to discuss the possibility of introducing gentle pinpoint sanctions to isolate Iran from technologies, equipment and materials that can enable the country to produce nuclear weapons.

Photo: USA prepared to undermine its relations with Russia to strictly punish Iran

It particularly goes about missile technologies, uranium-enriching activities, the chemical processing of radioactive fuel and the creation of the heavy-water nuclear reactor. The IAEA administration considers Russia’s suggestion on the matter a more efficient variant to proceed with. Russian politicians put forward the idea to impose financial sanctions against Iran, but they should be strictly targeted sanctions too.

The question of international sanctions against Iran seems to be inevitable at present moment. They will most likely be introduced because the Iranian administration does not seem to be ready to show flexibility and suspend uranium-enriching activities. Such a perspective seems to be impossible now.

Moscow is running out of patience. “We are not against sanctions,” Russia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov said at a conference in Jordan after a meeting with his Western counterparts. It was a landmark statement for the Russian minister to make. Now it is clear that Russia can support international measures against Iran. However, the six countries participating in the regulation of Iran's nuclear program differ in their approaches to the essence of the sanctions and the time for their possible action. Sergei Lavrov clarified that Russia was not intended to punish Iran.

Western countries would like to restrict Iranian officials and specialists involved in suspicious nuclear works from their free movement in the world. Russian officials believe that such a prohibition will lead to the isolation of Iran and will virtually become a punitive action to punish the country. However, the ban will not solve the problem of its nuclear program. It stands the reason that it will be impossible to conduct any talks if a high-raking Iranian politician will not be allowed to come to the USA, Europe or Russia.

Finally, does Russia’s participation in the construction of the nuclear power plant in Bushehr have anything to do with the banned technologies? The answer is obviously negative. Russian-Iranian collaboration on the Bushehr nuclear construction is absolutely transparent and fully meets IAEA’s requirements. However, some Western diplomats attempt to include Bushehr on the list of international sanctions too.

The current stance of the West against Iran bears a striking resemblance to international sanctions put in effect against a neighbouring state – Iraq – from 1991 to 2003. The Iraqi regime was exhausted because of those measures, which eventually allowed the US troops to destroy it easily in March 2003. The USA has never found the notorious WMDs in Iraq which never justified the reason for the US-led incursion in the country. However, this does not stop the US administration from propagandizing a similar scenario to put an end to the nuclear scandal with Iran.

Moscow urges world leaders to learn lessons from the sad Iraqi experience not to ruin Iran as a country. It is worthy of note that Russia stands firmly against the appearance of another nuclear power in the world situated very close to its borders.

France has recently supported Russia’s initiative to continue with negotiations on the nuclear dossier of Iran. After a series of consultations it was decided to hold a new official meeting on December 5. It became known later, though, that the US administration was not interested in such an event. Great Britain and Germany followed the USA’s line of action and claimed they would not participate either. It was then said that France would be representing their positions instead. It just so happens that the meeting of the six has been cut to the meeting of the two – Russia and France.

It brings up the idea that the USA is unwilling to go on with the negotiations. Washington insists on the discussion of the Western draft resolution on Iran at the UN Security Council. US politicians are perfectly aware of the fact that Russia would be against that. The USA is ready to undermine its relations with Russia and pay first priority to punitive measures against Iran.

Vremya Novostei

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov
Pravda.ru

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