What Russia sees but the Americans can’t

Next Monday the world’s superpowers will be holding talks with Iran in Russia. The matter on the agenda is to pust for a Russian compromise on the nuclear dispute.

Russia has offered to enrich Iranian uranium on its soil and return it to Iran for use in atomic reactors, thereby easing international concerns Iran could produce bomb-grade uranium.

Iran on its part is maintaining that it needs nuclear power to generate electricity. Its energy minister is saying that despite huge oil and gas reserves the country needs nuclear power to meet booming demand.

The minister Parviz Fattah said:

"We will face problems producing electricity in the next four years without
nuclear energy."

However the western powers, led by the US, do not believe this.

Today France accused Iran of pursuing a secret military nuclear programme.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Iran's nuclear work could not possibly be designed for civilian uses alone.

He said:

"No civilian nuclear programme can explain the Iranian nuclear programme. So it
is a clandestine Iranian military nuclear programme."

But at least he, and others like the UK, are asking Iran to settle this issue amicably.

The US however has not ruled out military action if it can get the UN Security Council to give a green light.

For that to happen, two council permanent members – Russia and China – must agree to a military action.

As matters stand, they both seem to be supporting Iran. Even today, China once again said a diplomatic solution was the best. But at the moment, Iran’s strongest ally is surely Russia.

Russia's top military chief Gen Yuri Baluyevsky today warned the United States against launching a military strike against Iran.

He said:

"A military scenario can't be ruled out … it is hard to predict how the Muslim world will respond to the use of force against Iran. This may stir the whole world, and it is crucial to prevent anything like that.”

He has hit the nail right on the spot.

The US will not have it easy if it attacks Iran.

Not after Iraq, Afghanistan and the open support for Israel and generally what the Muslim world sees as the war against Islam in what the Americans call the war against terrorism.

Russia understands that Iran will have the backing of the Muslim world in the event of a military conflict. The Americans don’t.

visit my other blog here