Reason for Russia’s Threat

-The statements made by Alexander Lukashevich, the spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, regarding the prospect of bilateral cooperation between Russia and the US in the resolution of Iran’s nuclear dossier, Syria and other international crises can be analyzed both optimistically and pessimistically.

-With a pessimistic view, it can be said that this country once again attempts to play the Iran card against the West to safeguard its own interests.

-The optimistic analysis is that these statements show that the Russians have understood the sanctions that have been imposed against Iran by the western countries.

-Before Russia was sanctioned by the West, it was among the countries which collaborated with the multilateral sanctions imposed within the framework of the Security Council resolutions and the unilateral sanctions of the western countries.

-But following the crisis in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions by the UN Security Council, it has now understood the extent of the sanctions and the pressures and, on this basis, has now joined the group of countries which oppose sanctions.

-Thus, following the imposition of new sanctions by the US, Russia has threatened that it will not cooperate with the West in exerting more pressure on Iran so that they will not reach their objectives in their negotiations with Iran.

-Otherwise, it seems impossible that the Russians would intend to use their non-cooperation with the US in reaching an agreement with Iran regarding the nuclear issue to show their opposition in lifting the Security Council’s sanctions against Iran or even veto the propositions to lift these sanctions.

-Following the crisis in Ukraine, relations between Russia and the West, particularly the US, changed and an atmosphere of cold war was created and Russia attempted to increase the number of its allies in the West.

-At the present time, Russia needs to keep Iran in its camp against the West in order to show that the policy of isolating Russia has failed.

-On this basis, Russia’s con-cooperation with the West could be to Iran’s benefit and prevent the attempts made by the western countries to exert more pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran in the nuclear negotiations.

-If Russia takes measures against Iran in the nuclear negotiations, the result would contradict their regional and international policies and it seems illogical that they would pursue such a path. Furthermore, Russia is not in a position to be able to change the consensus of the P5+1 in reaching an agreement with Iran similar to what France did in Geneva-2.