Translated material
In the flowery language of Khayyam
Russia may reconsider its position on Iran
Yesterday, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Mikhail Margelov was the first leading Russian politician to publicly suggest that Tehran, under the guise of a peaceful nuclear program, is creating an atomic bomb . He said that while in Tehran the other day, he asked “direct questions about the nature of Iran’s nuclear program to the head of the Foreign Ministry of this country, as well as other senior figures.” “I did not receive direct answers to direct questions, but I got the impression that by avoiding answers, the Iranians seemed to be reserving their right and making it clear that they did not exclude for themselves any options for the development of their nuclear program,” he noted head of a parliamentary committee. “The Persian language is a poetic language, and the answers to my direct questions were flowery, ornate, in the style of Omar Khayyam,” he added.Mr. Margelov's statements may indicate the possibility of a change in the Russian leadership's policy towards Iran. Further movement in this direction could lead to the revival of the strategic partnership between Russia and the United States, which arose after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Until now, Moscow has advocated the most restrained steps towards Tehran , citing the lack of evidence of Iran’s implementation of a military nuclear program and warning the United States against a forceful solution to the problem.
However, recently there have been signs of a hardening of Russia's position. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently supported the conclusion of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency , Muhammad ElBaradei, that the Iranian side does not answer a number of questions regarding its nuclear program. Suddenly, difficulties arose with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Bushehr with Russian participation. Although Moscow and Tehran are still talking about financial differences, the roots of the problem may lie deeper. After all, despite the growing flow of mutual barbs in the spirit of the Cold War, Russia and the United States are not interested in the emergence of a new nuclear power.
However, not all statements by Iranian leaders are similar to Khayyam’s beautiful poetry. Yesterday in Sudan, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad directly confirmed that Iran will not abandon its nuclear program , accusing the West of wanting to monopolize science. The United States and Israel suffered the most: “The Zionists are the real embodiment of Satan. The Zionist regime was created by the British, took place under American influence and, using their support, commits crimes in the region.” “No corner of the world suffers from strife and war until America and the Zionists leave their fingerprints there,” the Iranian leader said. Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman answered Ahmadinejad in absentia: “We can confront this country (Iran - Ed. ), even if we are left alone with it, but it would be better if the international community intervened in the situation.”
The possibility of a Russian-American alliance on Iran is indicated by progress in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue . At the negotiations in Beijing, Russia and the United States acted in tandem and convinced Pyongyang to sign an agreement on February 13 to suspend its nuclear program in exchange for foreign assistance. As Nikolai Zlobin, director of Russian and Asian programs at the Washington Institute of World Security, told Vremya Novostei, “Currently, both the State Department and the US National Security Council are discussing ways to apply the North Korean model to Iran. At the same time, Washington understands that in order for such a model to work, it is necessary to involve Russia in it.”
Vremya Novostei's interlocutor suggests that in exchange for supporting its position on Iran, the United States may make concessions to Russia in other areas. “The White House is ready to discuss Russian interests in the post-Soviet space, the implementation of joint projects in the field of energy transportation, and in the field of global security. Russia and the United States have approached the idea of creating a joint missile defense system several times, but to no avail. A revision of the Russian position on Iran could make such a system a reality,” says Mr. Zlobin.
However, Iran will not sit idly by. “In the near future, we can expect new promises from Tehran to develop cooperation with Russia, attract Russian investment, and connect Moscow to global energy projects. And since serious economic cooperation is impossible under sanctions, the Iranian side will make promises of a strategic nature. In particular, support for Russian initiatives in the Middle East and other regions is possible. Iran has something to promise even under sanctions. This country is large, powerful and politically active, and the Iranian people are cunning, smart and cunning, unlike gullible Russia,” warns Vremya Novostey’s interlocutor.