Russian government officials believe that Iran does not currently have the capability to build a nuclear weapon. Reports in the Russian media quote the director of the Foreign Ministry's department of European cooperation, Vladimir Voronkov, as saying Iran could presently not create or deliver a nuclear weapon. Former Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov dismissed any concern over Russia's defense agreements with the Islamic Republic. Moscow delivered some 29 Russian-made Tor-M1 air defense missile systems under a US$700 million contract concluded in late 2005 and has trained Iranian Tor-M1 specialists, including radar operators and crew commanders.
Western countries have criticized Russia's sales of defensive military equipment to Iran, and have accused Moscow of pursuing a policy of double standards vis-à-vis Tehran's nuclear issue. Russian officials, however, say the contract is completely in line with international law as it involved "defensive hardware, which cannot be used for offensive purposes a priori". Ivanov also defended a 1995 nuclear contract under which Russia's Atomstroyexport is helping Iran to build nuclear power plants capable of generating 1,000 megawatts of electricity annually.
On Monday, Iran said US president-elect Barack Obama needed to abandon the "carrot and stick" approach to Tehran's nuclear program when he takes office next month. An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tehran would never suspend uranium enrichment, despite Obama's attempt to sway Iran away from its current nuclear track. Obama said in an interview on NBC's 'Meet the Press' program on Sunday that he was prepared to offer Iran economic incentives to stop its nuclear program but warned that the international community could tighten sanctions on Iran if it refused. The president-elect said the US and its allies were willing to talk to Iran's government directly and give it a clear choice on the issue.
Meanwhile, Israeli president Shimon Peres said that the falling oil price had currently made unnecessary the military option to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. During a tour to the Arab town of Sakhnin to mark the Islamic feast of the sacrifice, Peres was quoted as saying that with the oil price plunging, Iran would "not have as much money to invest in uranium, missiles and terrorism" and that its nuclear program would thus be retarded. "The leaders of Iran cannot give their children uranium for breakfast," said the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Read about the WJC's campaign to Stop the Iranian Threat
