Russian experts have divergent views on the prospects of breaking
military and technical cooperation between Iran and Russia. At a
round-table discussion dedicated to Russian-Iranian ties, on the
background of the Russian president joining the anti-Iranian sanctions
of UN Security Council, Radjab Safarov and Mikhail Delyagin expressed
differing views on President Medvedev refusing to provide S-300
missile complexes to Iran. Such actions will have no positive effect
on Russia and the Greater Caucasus. It will be a return to Kozyrev's
line of the 90s, Safarov said.
The expert noted the repercussions of refusing to provide the missile
complexes to Iran for the Caucasus and the Caspian regions. Safarov
believes that it will lead to confrontation, Iran will start competing
with Russia in post-Soviet space, pushing Russia out. Experts also
mentioned that there may be a pro-American regime established after a
successful military operation. Both experts Safarov and Delyagin said
that Medvedev's decision is the biggest Russian failure in the last
decade.
Georgiy Mirskiy said that the refusal to provide the S-300 complexes
will improve international relations, making the Iranian authorities
act more cautiously and partly close down the nuclear program. This
will reduce the level of tensions between Israel and Iran. Mirskiy
commented on the US invasion of Iran as an "absurd" idea.
At the meeting, experts expressed different approaches and forecasts
for further development of relations between Russia and Iran and
possible repercussions.
