- 4 December 2009
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- 3 Comments
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- Diplomacy, Nuclear file, Sanctions, UN
Make It A Team Effort
4 December 2009 Posted By Bardia Mehrabian
A recent AFP article reveals the growing frustration of Russia and China in Iran’s attitude toward compliance with the IAEA. Traditionally dependable allies of Iran, both Russia and China supported the IAEA resolution on Nov. 26 censuring on Iran due for its undisclosed nuclear facility in Qom. This has led some to believe there may be a chance for another round of UN Security Council sanctions against Iran.
“Russia supports the idea of sanctions against Iran,” said Fyodor Lukianov, editor of the Russian foreign policy journal Russia in Global Affairs.
“The real question will be ‘what kind of sanctions’? There will be deep disagreement, and Russia will not support very tough sanctions like those sought by the United States,” he warned.
But for its part, China is not willing even to go that far.
China, which relies on Iran for oil imports, has made no public change of position, and experts warned that while it might appear to support a tougher sanctions regime it would work behind the scenes to weaken it.
“China has joined to put pressure on Tehran. In Western eyes this is progress, but this is not sanctions,” said Shi Yinhong, professor of international relations at the People’s University of Beijing.
“China’s position on sanctions on Iran is generally to dilute sanctions. I have not seen any indication that China is willing to put severe sanctions on Tehran. China still has huge energy cooperation with Iran.”
Russia and China play a vital role in any effort to influence Iran’s behavior, and the West would do well to remember that a multilateral approach is the only way to go.
3 Responses to “Make It A Team Effort”
Bardia, why must the “we” adopt an anti-Iran stance in the first place? Why can’t “we” recognize Iran’s legitimate right to the nuclear fuel cycle, afforded as a signatory to the NPT? And why can’t “we” accept one of the many compromises Iran has suggested over the past decade of negotiations?
This team effort you refer to is actually a lot more complicated an affair than that provided for in your very brief post.
And I would never qualify Russia as a dependable ally of Iran. I suggest you read up on the history of Iran-Russia relations.
I’m glad you pointed out my mistake in using the term “ally” inappropriately.
My intention was to denote that Russia and China are vested economic beneficiaries or partners, which is different than the term “ally” implies. I would not want to suggest that Russia or China would come to the aid of Iran if the country’s security were to be compromised. This, I would believe, would be a more appropriate definition as to whether the world “ally” were to be used. However, in terms of the diplomatic front, Russia and China can and do help Iran’s “interests” especially if it were to complicate their economic relationship, as can be seen by Iran’s latest action of reviewing its ties over the censure.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5B220W20091203
All in all, the question of the censure was never about whether Iran is allowed nuclear material, it’s about complying and being honest to the NPT and IAEA, which is not what is being done. Therefore, I stand by my position on punishing the Iranian regime, but not the Iranian people. Russia is exactly right when it asks, “What kind of sanctions are we talking about?”
well, this kind of analysis often ignore the importance of Iran for Russia. personally, I don’t think Russia would go beyond these tactical moves vis-vis Iran. why should Russia give in at this critical juncture? and what is the objectives of those sanctions? I mean, originally, it’s designed for Iranian compliance. how can Russia accept this scenario when it will be left out without a strategic partner in two critical regions of central Asia and Caucasus, let alone destroying the chance of diffusing in the MidEast…? and China is too much pre-occupied with her energy security…