The United States is preparing "traumatic" sanctions against Iran. Moscow will no longer protect Tehran

Washington will impose sanctions against Iran if by the end of the year there is no progress in negotiations. According to General James Jones, US Presidential Advisor, the White House administration will introduce new tough sanctions against Iran if the end of 2009 has not been reached in negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program. Meanwhile, Moscow may support the tightening of sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Domestic experts call the behavior of the Iranian leadership the defiant.

“By the end of the year, we must determine what Iran’s intentions are in reality, and the end of the year is approaching. We still hope for it. The door is still open, but the window is closing,” Jones said. The general stated that the sanctions against Iran would be inevitable if by the end of 2009 the Iranians do not agree to send a uranium that has passed the initial process of enrichment, to enrich in Russia and France, Interfax reports with reference to Foxnews.

- Russia changes policy against Iran

“I think that we need to move on to further steps, we held consultations with many countries, there is a unity on this issue, and this is an important stage that will not be easily passed,” he said.

"We worked with a number of organizations, an international agency on atomic energy, with all friends and allies, in order to remain calm and give the Iranians the time to decide what they will show themselves to the world. They want to have more constructive, peaceful relationships or it will be the path of rivalry and confrontation," Jones noted.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad criticized Russia's decision to support the IAEA resolution regarding the Iranian nuclear program. He also denied the allegations that Tiegran’s plans to build another 10 plants for enriching uranium are bluff, the “Independent Gazeta” notes.

As the publication recalls, the Council of Governing the IAEA on November 27 by a majority vote, including Russia, adopted a resolution in which he condemned Iran for the construction of the second enrichment plant (near the city of Kum). The document also calls on Tehran to confirm that they "did not make decisions on the construction of other nuclear facilities that were not declared the agency."

"Russia made a mistake. Its assessment of the current situation in the world is wrong," Ahmadi Nezhad said on Tuesday on the air of Iranian state television. He also stated that the Iran’s resolution on Iran has no legal basis, and accused the West of double standards.

The diplomatic source in Moscow earlier noted that Iran’s statement on the construction of 10 additional plants for the enrichment of Uranus complicates the atmosphere in negotiations. He also said that Russia would not stand aside if a consensus is reached on sanctions against Iran.

“We would consider it more preferable not to introduce sanctions, but more open and consistent cooperation of Iran with the Magate and more clear steps to answer those claims that, as we are convinced, are more and more reasonable,” the source said. At the same time, he made it clear that Moscow does not intend to speak with loud statements that complicate negotiations, or to act with threats of sanctions, as Western countries do. “But we will work, keep in mind such an opportunity (sanctions),” the source added.

Meanwhile, Iranian President said that the construction plans for 10 new enrichment plants are not a bluff. “There is no place for a bluff. We will achieve everything we are talking about,” said Ahmadi Nezhad.

Russia is changing policies against Iran

Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexei Arbatov noted that a serious shift occurred in Russian policy against Iran. "Iran simply sterned. He demonstrated to Russia that he not only did not value her support, her efforts on a peaceful solution to the problem, but is simply not considered her interests and obligations, is not considered the interests of non -proliferation," he said.

According to Arbatov, Russia struggled that the issue can be resolved peacefully and that the Iranian nuclear program is not a military nature, but the last statements of the Iranian leadership about the construction of 10 new plants to enrich uranium and that cooperation with the IAEA will be minimized, testify to the opposite. "Russia here is exhibited in a ridiculous form to the international community, to the states with which it negotiated for many years. This, of course, was outraged," the expert stated. He added that Russia is now improving relations with the United States, which went on a number of concessions on the pro, on the issue of expansion of NATO, Georgia and the new European security system that Russia offers, and in response to this it is ready to take into account the interests of the United States.

Arbatov said that in the future it is quite possible to expect a transition to “traumatic” sanctions against Iran: “Russia, in principle, agree to this. The United States must be negotiated with its allies in Western Europe, Japan, South Korea, China and India, because they are primarily associated with Iran export-importing operations.”

Commenting on the recent statements of Ahmadi Nezhad, Alexei Arbatov called them bluff and an attempt to challenge the world community. "Iran will never build 10 factories. Russia, which has 30 nuclear power plants, has only four such enterprises, and the United States has 100 reactors, and they have eight such factories," the specialist explained.

“This is also an impudent challenge, an attempt to demonstrate the powerlessness of the world community, the UN Security Council, the powerlessness of their resolutions. They are sure that the force will not be applied against them, since the United States is stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan. But they make a big mistake, because Israel will strike at a certain moment without the United States,” the Arbatov summed up Arbatov.