Iran and world powers seek Moscow miracle

Iran urgency is becaus­e of deadline for oil embarg­o by EU, US sancti­ons agains­t buying Irania­n oil.


Afp June 15, 2012

MOSCOW: Russia will try to shield its ally Iran from the looming threat of military strikes while seeking an elusive commitment on its nuclear program when it hosts showdown talks on the crisis next week.

A skilled balancing act would put a rare feather in Moscow's diplomatic cap and support its arguments in an increasingly confrontational standoff with the West over Iran's strife-torn partner Syria.

But failure may only further erode Russia's slipping Middle East standing while creating even more uncertainties about how to address building concerns about the military aspects of Iran's purportedly peaceful nuclear drive.

The stakes could thus hardly be higher when two days of talks between Iran and the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany begin Monday under the watchful eye of President Vladimir Putin -- a strongman who expects results.

"The Iranians are coming under a lot of pressure from Russia not to screw this up on their watch," said one Western official familiar with the situation.

"Russia's position will get firmer if Iran refuses to negotiate," added Andrei Baklitsky of the PIR Centre for non-proliferation studies.

"That would be a diplomatic slap in Russia's face."

The urgency for Iran is being compounded by the July 1 deadline the European Union has slapped on a full oil embargo and the June 28 rollout of tough US sanctions against a host of world countries that buy Iranian oil.

Yet divisions within Iran itself and a bruising second round of talks in Baghdad last month leave some observers thinking that Moscow will need to work a minor miracle to keep the talks alive.

The skeptics particularly cite this month's failed meeting with the IAEA nuclear watchdog and the difficulty US President Barack Obama will have in making any concessions with elections approaching in November.

"Of course there is a certain time limit," said a senior European diplomat.

"If there is a collective assessment that it is not going anywhere, we will have to say no to talks for talks' sake."

Russia's Kommersant Daily said the threat of the process falling apart forced Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to decide last weekend to pay a flash visit to Tehran on Wednesday for a meeting with chief negotiator Saeed Jalili.

Iran followed that announcement by quickly saying it was now willing to discuss the same package proposal it had found unacceptable in Baghdad.

The deal would see the Islamic Republic stop enriching uranium to 20 percent -- seen as being just steps away from weapons-grade -- and ship out its existing stock while also shuttering its forbidden Fordo bunker.

The tough terms would not lead to the quick lifting of sanctions but instead see the West extend some forms of peaceful nuclear energy cooperation and provide assistance for Iran's battered aircraft industry.

Europe would also help Iran export oil to key client Asia by easing an EU tanker insurance ban.

The plan is in line with the "step by step" approach promoted by Moscow and underscores the periodic suspicions that have clouded relations since the 1829 murder by a Tehran mob of the tsar's ambassador to the Persian Empire.

Putin pointedly stressed during the brief public portion of his meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Beijing last week that "we are very strong supporters of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons."

Russia has seemingly tried to play down expectation by noting last weekend that "we obviously understand that the sides will not be able to agree on all issues in Moscow.

"But we proceed on the assumption that the negotiating process must by all means continue after the Moscow round," the Russian foreign ministry said.

Analysts said the question of whether this happens depends mostly on the extent to which Iran feels it can still count on Russia once the full range of oil sanctions sets in.

"I generally avoid using the expression 'last chance' meeting, but the Moscow one may be turning into a showdown given the July 1 sanctions deadline," said Bruno Tertrais of the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research.

COMMENTS (5)

gfdg666 | 11 years ago | Reply

http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/Infcircs/Others/infcirc140.pdf

Article IV of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) 1. Nothing in this Treaty shall be interpreted as affecting the INALIENABLE RIGHT of all the Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with Articles I and II of this Treaty.

All the Parties to the Treaty undertake to facilitate, and have the right to participate in, the fullest possible exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Parties to the Treaty in a position to do so shall also co-operate in contributing alone or together with other States or international organizations to the further development of the applications of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, especially in the territories of non-nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty, with due consideration for the needs of the developing areas of the world.

Article X. Establishes the right to withdraw from the Treaty giving 3 months' notice. It also establishes the duration of the Treaty (25 years before 1995 Extension Initiative).

UN CHARTER VII ARTICLE 51: Provides for the right of countries to engage in military action in self-defense, including collective self-defense (i.e. under an alliance) FOR IRAN TO RETALIATE WITH EQUAL FORCE IF ATTACKED, meaning Iran will hurt the enemies at least as much as they hurt Iran since They may be able start one but they cannot end it and it remains in Iran’s hands.

EVERYTHING ELSE IS JUST ANTI IRAN, ANTI ISLAM BS CREATED BY US ON BEHALF OF UNBREAKABLE BOND ISRAEL.

HJ | 11 years ago | Reply

@ U : I dont know which country you are from. But I Iive in Tehran and lives of people have become miserable because Iran is seeking nuclear might. The Rial has been devalues by more than 100% in last 6 months imagine what sort of impact that has on people.

One more thing, Iran is a threat not only for Israel but equally for Arabic world. The conflict between Iran and Arab world goes back to 2000 years. Saudi and UAE are more antagonist of Iran's nuclear ambitions than perhaps even Israel.

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