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Medvedev

Russia Calls For Restraint After Iranian Missile Tests

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Tensions are rising in and around Iran over their recent missile test-fires, both long and short-range. Also, there is new concern regarding the new discovery of a secret uranium enrichment plant.

The tests come as the Islamic Republic started large-scale missile drills on Sunday.

Many see this as a test for United States President Barack Obama as he has recently announced that he would not further the Bush-era missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. Others see this as a test for Russia to extend their strong arm in the region and put the pressure on Iran.

Certainly the pressure will be felt as Russia is calling for “restraint.”

“This is not illegal under any international agreements, but of course when missile launches are accompanied by an unresolved situation around Iran’s nuclear program, this concerns us,” Sergei Lavrov said after a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki.

While there is great concern internationally, there is a good deal of concern from Russia as they call for more sanctions. Mikhail Margelov, head of Russia’s upper house’s international affairs committee, said although Moscow does not believe in the effectiveness of sanctions, “in some situations, sanctions become inevitable.” He also stressed the importance of the “signal that they will send to the Iranian leadership.”

In an address to professors and students at the University of Pennsylvania, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said:

“Sanctions are not the best way to deal successfully with Iran, but if we run out of all other options, we could launch sanctions based on international law.”

Iran is already under three sets of UN Security Council sanctions over its failure to stop uranium enrichment. Enrichment seen globally as a means of weapons production.

Decision Over Missile Defense System A Technological Reality

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President Barack Obama announced on Thursday that the United States would be shelving the proposal for a European missile defense shield. The proposal would have placed radar systems and interceptor missiles in Poland and the Czech Republic. Russia had repeatedly expressed their disapproval over the defense shield, arguing that it would have interfered with the systems that were already in place.

Immediately following the announcement, criticism from many sides voiced their opinions. Everything from how Obama caved to Russian pressures, to how America was abandoning its allies and their interests. Among the criticism came a defense of the decision by the Department of Defense.

In defense, they offered a four-phased agenda that would provide a higher level of protection than the previous plan proposed under the Bush administration. The previous plan would have offered interceptor missiles that had yet to be built and tested, while the four-phased plan would allow the defense system to evolve “as the Iranian threat potentially evolves.”

John Isaacs, executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation said:

“The decision to revamp the missile defense plan in Europe is based on technological reality rather than rigid ideology. The Obama administration’s proposal is a better choice for U.S. And European security.”

The technological reality is that Iran does not possess the intermediate or intercontinental missiles that the Bush plan would have defended against. However, it is argued that they would not have capabilities for intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear capabilities until 2015.

It is no secret that Iran is pursuing nuclear studies. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues to press the issue that it is for the sole purpose of providing nuclear energy, and not for nuclear arms. But, according to a secret report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran does have the ability for a nuclear weapon and have been working on a missile system capable of carrying it.

This decision comes before a summit next week where Obama will be meeting with Medvedev, and weeks before Obama sits down with Ahmadinejad.