Vatanka Reports
News and Analysis on the Greater Middle East
Iran and the Looming U.S.-Russian Cold War
March 21, 2014
<p class="font_7" style=""><span style=""><span style=""><span class="color_2">As the Western world is drawn in by the recent events in the Crimea, nations on the periphery are seeing a chance to use the widening gulf between Russia and the United States/EU to further their own aims. A debate has already begun inside the Iranian regime about how to best leverage this Russo-Western diplomatic spat to lessen international pressure on Iran's nuclear program and the isolation of the country. On the one hand, the government of President Rouhani is looking at the fallout over Crimea as an opportunity to break the hitherto American-Russian covenant to sanction Tehran for its nuclear activities, but for this camp, the ultimate aim is not policy realignment toward Moscow. Rouhani’s hardline opponents, however, see it very differently. The hardline camp in Tehran senses a protracted Russo-American conflict and some of its voices are already looking to make the case for Tehran to choose Russia over Rouhani’s policy of détente toward Washington.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="font_8"> </p>
Iran and the Looming U.S.-Russian Cold War
March 21, 2014
<p class="font_7" style=""><span style=""><span style=""><span class="color_2">As the Western world is drawn in by the recent events in the Crimea, nations on the periphery are seeing a chance to use the widening gulf between Russia and the United States/EU to further their own aims. A debate has already begun inside the Iranian regime about how to best leverage this Russo-Western diplomatic spat to lessen international pressure on Iran's nuclear program and the isolation of the country. On the one hand, the government of President Rouhani is looking at the fallout over Crimea as an opportunity to break the hitherto American-Russian covenant to sanction Tehran for its nuclear activities, but for this camp, the ultimate aim is not policy realignment toward Moscow. Rouhani’s hardline opponents, however, see it very differently. The hardline camp in Tehran senses a protracted Russo-American conflict and some of its voices are already looking to make the case for Tehran to choose Russia over Rouhani’s policy of détente toward Washington.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="font_8"> </p>
Iran and the Looming U.S.-Russian Cold War
March 21, 2014
<p class="font_7" style=""><span style=""><span style=""><span class="color_2">As the Western world is drawn in by the recent events in the Crimea, nations on the periphery are seeing a chance to use the widening gulf between Russia and the United States/EU to further their own aims. A debate has already begun inside the Iranian regime about how to best leverage this Russo-Western diplomatic spat to lessen international pressure on Iran's nuclear program and the isolation of the country. On the one hand, the government of President Rouhani is looking at the fallout over Crimea as an opportunity to break the hitherto American-Russian covenant to sanction Tehran for its nuclear activities, but for this camp, the ultimate aim is not policy realignment toward Moscow. Rouhani’s hardline opponents, however, see it very differently. The hardline camp in Tehran senses a protracted Russo-American conflict and some of its voices are already looking to make the case for Tehran to choose Russia over Rouhani’s policy of détente toward Washington.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="font_8"> </p>
Iran and the Looming U.S.-Russian Cold War
March 21, 2014
<p class="font_7" style=""><span style=""><span style=""><span class="color_2">As the Western world is drawn in by the recent events in the Crimea, nations on the periphery are seeing a chance to use the widening gulf between Russia and the United States/EU to further their own aims. A debate has already begun inside the Iranian regime about how to best leverage this Russo-Western diplomatic spat to lessen international pressure on Iran's nuclear program and the isolation of the country. On the one hand, the government of President Rouhani is looking at the fallout over Crimea as an opportunity to break the hitherto American-Russian covenant to sanction Tehran for its nuclear activities, but for this camp, the ultimate aim is not policy realignment toward Moscow. Rouhani’s hardline opponents, however, see it very differently. The hardline camp in Tehran senses a protracted Russo-American conflict and some of its voices are already looking to make the case for Tehran to choose Russia over Rouhani’s policy of détente toward Washington.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="font_8"> </p>