Russia rejects sanctions against Iran

By Ron Popeski

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia on Friday rejected any talk for
now of sanctions against Iran and France warned against
conflict with Tehran, raising doubt whether it will face swift
penalties for not halting nuclear work by an August 31
deadline.

Responding to an offer of economic incentives to stop
enriching uranium, Iran hinted to six world powers on Tuesday
it could curb its program as a result of talks to implement the
package — but not as a precondition as they demand.

The reply seemed designed to crack the ramshackle united
front of four Western powers and Russia and China behind the
U.N. Security Council deadline. The West sees Iran’s nuclear
work as a looming threat to peace. Russia and China do not.

“I know of no instances in world practice and previous
experience in which sanctions have achieved their aim and
proved effective,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told
reporters during a trip to Russia’s far east.

“Moreover, I believe that the question is not so serious at
the moment for the U.N. Security Council or the group of six to
consider any introduction of sanctions. Russia stands for
further political and diplomatic efforts to settle the issue.”

Ivanov is regarded as close to President Vladimir Putin.

The Security Council passed a legally binding resolution on
July 31 telling Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment program
within 30 days or risk sanctions.

Iran says it is enriching uranium solely to generate
electricity. The West suspects the Iranian nuclear program is a
front for building atom bombs.

U.S., French and German leaders said that Iran’s 21-page
response to the incentives offer was unsatisfactory because it
did not specifically agree to stop purifying uranium.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on
Friday that Tehran’s reply had touched on “many different
elements, different from the ones that we had proposed.”

“For that reason we will have to hold a dialogue session
… or a conversation with the … Iranians to improve upon
some of the expressions and meanings of the subject matter
treated in its document,” he told Spain’s RNE state radio.

But while Washington, backed by closest ally Britain, has
said the six powers will move quickly to adopt sanctions if
Iran disregards the deadline, Germany and France have been less
conclusive in public and Russia and China have been unwilling.

“For the moment, it (the Iranian response) is not
satisfactory,” French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy
said on RTL radio, but added it was important to avoid
escalating conflict with Iran and the Muslim world.

“The worst thing would be to escalate into a confrontation
(between the West and) Iran on the one hand, and the Muslim
world with Iran…,” he said.

“I’m starting from the principle we should have a dialogue
with the Iranians, that we must hold out our hands to them.”

CONFLICTS SEEN STRENGTHENING IRAN

U.S. and British forces that overthrew Iraq’s Saddam
Hussein in 2003 are now mired in an Islamist insurgency while
Israel and Lebanon’s Hizbollah guerrillas recently waged an
inconclusive war. Both conflicts are widely seen to have
strengthened Iran.

Bloodshed between Israel and Palestinians under an Islamist
Hamas government also festers on without a solution in sight.

Some analysts believe that widespread anger in the Arab and
Muslim worlds over Washington’s perceived slowness to push
Israel into a ceasefire with Hizbollah could erode support in
the 15-member Security Council for a showdown with Iran.

“The strongest motivation to give talks a chance seems to
be the international community’s lack of appetite for a fourth
conflict in the Middle East,” said Trita Parsi, a U.S.-based
Iranian author and commentator.

Russia, which is building Iran’s first nuclear power plant,
has traditionally argued that sanctions would not work.

Russia and China, also long averse to sanctions as a policy
tool, have major energy and investment stakes with Iran and
could veto sanctions in the Security Council.

Mark Fitzpatrick at the International Institute for
Strategic Studies said Russia’s stance seemed to contradict the
intention of the Council resolution but most diplomatic players
remained keen to find a palatable alternative to sanctions.

“I’m sure there will be high-level talks on whether there
is some formula regarding sequencing of suspension” based on
Iran’s hint it could shelve enrichment as the upshot of talks
to carry out the incentives, he said.

“The question is whether there is a basis to fudge the
sequencing — that is, Iran commits to suspension after a very
short time period of negotiations. I don’t know if that would
be enough for (the West).”

(Additional reporting by Mark Heinrich in Vienna and Ann
Willard in Paris)