Why Does Iran Not Fear The UNSC?
We do hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. I Thomas's sister did while sketching out her plan of attacks for Black Friday (and they call us insane), while she was finishing up her turkey dinner. Ours was quiet and peaceful; just the two of us enjoying the begining of the holiday season. (Unlike my husband, I do so enjoy this magical time of the year.) He dislikes how much emphasis is put on the materialistic side of the holidays as opposed to what we should be focusing on. But enough of the chit-chat.
Iran has always remained defiant to the United Nations. Despite their pleas that Iran halt their enrichment program, Iran has thumbed its nose at them and the world. Not exactly a smart move, right? That may have been true years ago, but the reason why Iran is not worried about the United Nations is revealed in a Boston Globe piece today that Hugh Hewitt noticed this morning:
Russia has begun delivery of Tor-M1 air defense missile systems to Iran, a Defense Ministry official said Friday, confirming that Moscow would proceed with arms deals with Tehran in spite of Western criticism.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue, declined to specify when the deliveries had been made and how many systems had been delivered.
Ministry officials have previously said Moscow would supply 29 of the sophisticated missile systems to Iran under a $700 million contract signed in December, according to Russian media reports.
The United States called on all countries last spring to stop all arms exports to Iran, as well as ending all nuclear cooperation with it to put pressure on Tehran to halt uranium enrichment activities. Israel, too, has severely criticized arms deals with Iran.
Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but the United States and its allies suspect Iran is trying to develop weapons.
The U.N. Security Council, where Russia is a veto-wielding permanent member, is currently stalemated on the severity of sanctions on Iran for defying its demand to cease enrichment.
The Tor-M1 deal, involving conventional weapons, does not violate any international agreements.
Russian officials say the missiles are purely defensive weapons with a limited range.
According to the Interfax news agency, the Tor-M1 system can identify up to 48 targets and fire at two targets simultaneously at a height of up to 20,000 feet.
Russian media have reported previously that Moscow had conducted talks on selling even more powerful long-range S-300 air defense missiles, but Russian officials have denied that.
It is no wonder why the UNSC is in a stalemate over Iran. Russia and China both have been dragging their feet regarding sanctions. Neither nation wants to see sanctions slapped on Iran because both nations are dealing with them. This is not the first deal struck between the former Soviet nation and the Islamic Republic.
They have an enrichment deal that was announced on the 22nd of April this year. In that deal, Russia agreed to help Tehran enrich their uranium. In April of this year, I picked up on their announcement that they had enriched uranium successfully, and their plans to build more centrifuges. Shortly thereafter, in an effort to head off the United Nations, Russia offered to restart talks regarding Iran's uranium enrichment program. But Tehran balked at it then, only to turn around two weeks later and agree to Russian help, but they flatly refused to move their work to Russia.
And as long as Russia continues to run interference for them, Iran will continue to flout the United Nations. And the stalemate will continue. What is absolutely needed right now is a breaking of that stand-off in the UNSC, and sanctions need to be slapped on Iran. The Israelis are certainly not playing games with Iran, and have been working on a strike against their nuclear facilities. With the admission that Iran has Russian SAM sites that are likely guarding these facilities, the Israelis know that the mission to take out those sites is now even more dangerous.
In addition, Iran has vowed that any attack on their sites will result in an immediate retaliation. Thomas noted earlier this month that Iran has tested its long-range Shahab-3 missiles; these missiles have a range of 2100 km, and the capability to strike Israel. An attack from Israel will surely result int he launching of these weapons by Iran.
The Russians could end all of this by agreeing to something in the UNSC, but they will not. They will not risk ruining their business dealings with Iran. The same goes for China. So as the UNSC sits on the wayside, virtually unable to act against a growing threat, Iran continues to move forward unhindered by outside interference. And as long as this continues, it will only be a matter of time before they achieve their desired goal.
The creation of nuclear weapons, and such that can reach Israel, and quite possibly other Western nations. It makes one wonder if this is why people like Tony Blair and those on the Baker Commission are urging the US and the West to begin negotiating with Iran and with Syria. With things again reaching a boiling point in Lebanon, thanks to Bashir Assad and Hezbollah, the world's attention is diverted from the real threat, to a meager threat, at best.
Marcie
We do hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. I Thomas's sister did while sketching out her plan of attacks for Black Friday (and they call us insane), while she was finishing up her turkey dinner. Ours was quiet and peaceful; just the two of us enjoying the begining of the holiday season. (Unlike my husband, I do so enjoy this magical time of the year.) He dislikes how much emphasis is put on the materialistic side of the holidays as opposed to what we should be focusing on. But enough of the chit-chat.
Iran has always remained defiant to the United Nations. Despite their pleas that Iran halt their enrichment program, Iran has thumbed its nose at them and the world. Not exactly a smart move, right? That may have been true years ago, but the reason why Iran is not worried about the United Nations is revealed in a Boston Globe piece today that Hugh Hewitt noticed this morning:
Russia has begun delivery of Tor-M1 air defense missile systems to Iran, a Defense Ministry official said Friday, confirming that Moscow would proceed with arms deals with Tehran in spite of Western criticism.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue, declined to specify when the deliveries had been made and how many systems had been delivered.
Ministry officials have previously said Moscow would supply 29 of the sophisticated missile systems to Iran under a $700 million contract signed in December, according to Russian media reports.
The United States called on all countries last spring to stop all arms exports to Iran, as well as ending all nuclear cooperation with it to put pressure on Tehran to halt uranium enrichment activities. Israel, too, has severely criticized arms deals with Iran.
Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but the United States and its allies suspect Iran is trying to develop weapons.
The U.N. Security Council, where Russia is a veto-wielding permanent member, is currently stalemated on the severity of sanctions on Iran for defying its demand to cease enrichment.
The Tor-M1 deal, involving conventional weapons, does not violate any international agreements.
Russian officials say the missiles are purely defensive weapons with a limited range.
According to the Interfax news agency, the Tor-M1 system can identify up to 48 targets and fire at two targets simultaneously at a height of up to 20,000 feet.
Russian media have reported previously that Moscow had conducted talks on selling even more powerful long-range S-300 air defense missiles, but Russian officials have denied that.
It is no wonder why the UNSC is in a stalemate over Iran. Russia and China both have been dragging their feet regarding sanctions. Neither nation wants to see sanctions slapped on Iran because both nations are dealing with them. This is not the first deal struck between the former Soviet nation and the Islamic Republic.
They have an enrichment deal that was announced on the 22nd of April this year. In that deal, Russia agreed to help Tehran enrich their uranium. In April of this year, I picked up on their announcement that they had enriched uranium successfully, and their plans to build more centrifuges. Shortly thereafter, in an effort to head off the United Nations, Russia offered to restart talks regarding Iran's uranium enrichment program. But Tehran balked at it then, only to turn around two weeks later and agree to Russian help, but they flatly refused to move their work to Russia.
And as long as Russia continues to run interference for them, Iran will continue to flout the United Nations. And the stalemate will continue. What is absolutely needed right now is a breaking of that stand-off in the UNSC, and sanctions need to be slapped on Iran. The Israelis are certainly not playing games with Iran, and have been working on a strike against their nuclear facilities. With the admission that Iran has Russian SAM sites that are likely guarding these facilities, the Israelis know that the mission to take out those sites is now even more dangerous.
In addition, Iran has vowed that any attack on their sites will result in an immediate retaliation. Thomas noted earlier this month that Iran has tested its long-range Shahab-3 missiles; these missiles have a range of 2100 km, and the capability to strike Israel. An attack from Israel will surely result int he launching of these weapons by Iran.
The Russians could end all of this by agreeing to something in the UNSC, but they will not. They will not risk ruining their business dealings with Iran. The same goes for China. So as the UNSC sits on the wayside, virtually unable to act against a growing threat, Iran continues to move forward unhindered by outside interference. And as long as this continues, it will only be a matter of time before they achieve their desired goal.
The creation of nuclear weapons, and such that can reach Israel, and quite possibly other Western nations. It makes one wonder if this is why people like Tony Blair and those on the Baker Commission are urging the US and the West to begin negotiating with Iran and with Syria. With things again reaching a boiling point in Lebanon, thanks to Bashir Assad and Hezbollah, the world's attention is diverted from the real threat, to a meager threat, at best.
Marcie
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 12:02 PM
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