Friday, July 18, 2014

Is Russia About To Torpedo The Iranian Nuclear Talks?

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) shakes hands with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Bishkek. (file photo)

Putin Poised To Retaliate Against Obama By Trashing Iran Deal -- Josh Rogin, Daily Beast

Now that the U.S.-Russia relationship has broken down, Moscow could throw a wrench into the teetering nuclear negotiations with Iran.

The escalating tensions between Washington and Moscow, brought to fever by the MH17 airliner disaster, are finally to the point where they threaten to spoil the number one item on President Obama’s foreign policy agenda: the nuclear talks with Iran. The man doing the threatening is Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier this week, Putin promised to retaliate against the United States for new sanctions targeting his friends and business associates, as well as large Russian defense, energy, and financial firms. On Thursday, Putin called President Obama to alert him a civilian jetliner had crashed over Eastern Ukraine, a tragedy the U.S. says was caused by a missile shot from a Russian-made SA-11 mobile surface to air missile system located in a separatist-held area.

Putin’s next call was to none other than the President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani.

Read more ....

My Comment:  U.S. economic sanctions are starting to hurt Russia .... and as a result the old arrangements and understandings are now unraveling. Will this impact the Iranian nuclear talks .... if I was a betting man I will be saying yes.

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