Russia Warns Against US Attack on Iran
The foreign minister says it would "trigger a chain reaction"
Russia has strongly objected to Western belligerence towards its allies Syria and Iran, warning that a military assault on the Iranian regime could cause a “chain reaction” that would destabilize the entire world.
Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, vowed to veto any United Nations proposal for military intervention in Syria and promised especially to do all they could to prevent a military strike on Iran.
“The consequences [of attacking Iran] will be extremely grave,” he said. “It’s not going to be an easy walk. It will trigger a chain reaction and I don’t know where it will stop.” Russia has even been training its military on scenarios related to the crisis of a possible military conflict in Iran.
Russia has supported some sanctions on Iran, but has refused to comply with any additional sanctions. The U.S. has heaped some of the harshest economic sanctions on Iran ever conceived and has been pressuring its allies in the European Union and Asia-Pacific to embargo Iran’s oil, or at least reduce it significantly.
The sanctions could result in a humanitarian catastrophe on the scale of what Iraq experienced in the 1990s, with approximately 500,000 children dying as a result of the U.S.-led sanctions after the Gulf War of 1990-91. The Obama administration claims it is applying the sanctions to convince Iran to stop enriching uranium.
But there is no evidence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program, as the Obama administration has admitted. And the opinion of the U.S. intelligence community as well as the latest IAEA report is that Iran’s enrichment is so far civilian in nature.
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walshtrhee
January 19th, 2012 at 9:53 pm
Since when is Iran an ally of Russia? Russia certainly has not treated Iran as an ally. Syria possibly is more of an ally because of port facilities granted Russia by Syria. Is there any reference to statements by Russia or Iran (or Syria) referring to the other country as ally?
contraviews
January 20th, 2012 at 12:14 am
Russia fears rightly that the backlash resulting from an armed aggression against Iran will have serious repercussions on the rest of the world including of course Russia itself. Russia and China for that matter too could – hopefully – have a stabilizing and neutralizing effect by backing Iran and importing more oil from her in perhaps exchange for humanitarian aid.. That Iran is working on a nuclear device is still not proven and even if true it may well be a very good thing as it will result in a balance of power. US and Israel are more likely to use WMD including nuclear weapons than Iran.
contraviews
January 20th, 2012 at 12:14 am
Russia fears rightly that the backlash resulting from an armed aggression against Iran will not only have serious repercussions on the rest of the world including of course Russia itself. Russia and China for that matter could – hopefully – have a stabilizing and neutralizing effect by backing Iran and importing more oil from her in perhaps exchange for humanitarian aid.. That Iran is working on a nuclear device is still not proven and even if true it may well be a very good thing as it will result in a balance of power. US and Israel are more likely to use WMD including nuclear weapons than Iran.
curmudgeonvt
January 20th, 2012 at 6:31 am
What are you looking for? – a signed treaty? Just as the US and Israel are allies – without any signed treaties or such, if Russia says they're allies then, for lack of a denial by Medvedev then I guess they're allies. Who cares? It's the point they're making that is central here. "Don't start a war that you can't predict the outcome of – and since all wars are unpredictable by nature, just don't do it!"
Besides, the US hasn't completed their anti-Iranian missile shield along the borders of Russian yet…
walshtrhee
January 20th, 2012 at 7:42 am
When did Russia say they are allies? The US on the other hand has often described Israel as an ally. Remember Russia has sold Iran's interest and justice for benefits offered by the US. Medvedev may not be aware of Glaser's use of the term ally in this context, and besides how could he be expected to deny any wrong statement made on the web, let us say?
Без перевода
January 20th, 2012 at 9:04 am
This is very strong talk from the sitting Russian Foreign Minister.
Israel should consider the warning directed upon itself just as much
as a warning for the US. Israel needs to carefully consider the possibility
that Russia could decide the Zionist entity is a threat to world peace
which needs to be eliminated.
curmudgeonvt
January 20th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
You are correct…I obviously believed what Mr. Glaser wrote but upon examination of a couple of the off-page links it was plain that Mr. Glaser took some blatant liberties with the facts.
Bruce Richardson
January 20th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
The US gave Iran its first nuclear reactor and fissionable material in 1983. So, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect Iran to maximize that technology? A nuclear Iran would be a positive thing to restore the balance of power in the Middle East. Israel, like its erstwhile ally the US in other parts of the world is the most aggressive state in the region and obsesses with being the dominant power.
walshtrhee
January 20th, 2012 at 5:42 pm
Most readers would not go that far. It just seems that the term "allies" may be inappropriate when referring to Iran and Russia given past history when Russia opportunistically has sold out Iran's interests and principles of justice in order to please the US and reap some benefits from it. At present it seems the US just has not offered Russia enough to buy its acquiescence, Russian talk may however lead to a better offer from the US and ultimate acquiescence.
truth force
January 20th, 2012 at 6:30 pm
Russia is not America.
John_Muhammad
January 20th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Advice to Washington, and to Obama specifically: Don't let your mouth write checks your body can't cash.
We can't handle a bunch of Taliban fighters who have no artillery, no tanks, no air support, and no discernable support structure, yet we're blustering our way into taking on Russia AND China as well?
Why do I feel the sudden urge to build a fallout shelter and stock up on food and supplies?
curmudgeonvt
January 21st, 2012 at 10:56 am
The Russians want the supposed (Iranian) Missile shield gone from its borders…nothing of any consequence is going to happen before that happens.