It has been in Russia’s interest to keep a steady level of tensions over the Iranian nuclear program through short-term tactical policies. This method help strengthen Moscow’s bargaining power against the West.

June 06, 2010 (Hamsayeh.Net) - Iranian ambassador to Russia Mahmud-Reza Sajjadi during a weekend interview with Izvestia, questioned Russia’s latest Iran domestic nuclear program stance.

Sajjadi said Moscow’s response as to an agreed upon sanction scenario against Iran was questionable.  ‘Lack of trust in Russia and the fact that this country has reneged on its promises prompted Iran to replace Moscow with Brasilia and Ankara to reach the Tehran agreement (on a nuclear fuel swap),’ ambassador said.

Yesterday, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said there exist a broad agreement on imposing sanctions on Iran. He said Iran should cooperate more with other countries to ease concerns about its nuclear program. According to many leading analysts, it has been in Russia’s interest to keep a steady level of tensions over the Iranian nuclear program through  short-term tactical policies. They say this method help strengthen Moscow’s bargaining power against the West.

As if it did not know that Iran had a nuclear program last year, Russia signed a defense contract to deliver S-300 missile system to Iran while so far it keeps refusing to fulfill the contract by actually delivering the system.

Because of Russia’s constant foot dragging Tehran decided to negotiate with other global powers namely Brazil and Turkey to resolve the nuclear impasse, the ambassador explained. ‘Currently, the relationship is not that promising. (Iranian) people and officials ask why some Russian officials make remarks against Iran,’ Sajjadi told Izvestia.