Russia, Iran Close Ranks
Thursday, August 27, 2015
JERUSALEM, Israel -- While the Obama administration presses Congress to back the Iranian nuclear deal in September's vote, Russia and Iran are announcing all kinds of joint ventures, evidence of the increasingly close ties between them.
On Wednesday, two Russian space companies announced a joint venture with an Iranian corporation to build a satellite observation system.
The "earth remote sensing system" will reportedly help Iran gather information about the earth's surface, its oceans and atmosphere. One observer said, "Believe that and I have some oceanfront property to sell you in Kansas."
Within weeks after world powers signed a nuclear deal with Iran in July, Russian and Iranian navies conducted a three-day joint exercise near the Caspian Sea.
According to Iran's semi-official FARS news agency Iranian naval commanders welcomed the Russian fleet carrying a message of "peace and friendship."
Meanwhile, Russia says it will help Iran build several more nuclear plants, while the long-awaited delivery of an undisclosed number of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems would take place by year's end.
The $800 million sale has been in limbo since its signing eight years ago, but the $150 billion sanctions-lifting windfall took care of that.
The S-300 can track and intercept multiple aircraft simultaneously, making an Israeli pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities that more difficult.
Earlier this month, former Pentagon advisor Michael Rubin said the joint naval exercises are part and parcel of the tight military alliance taking shape between Russia and Iran, which may also include North Korea.
"The Russian warship visit, combined with North Korea scoping out war game sites in Russia, suggest a new Axis of Evil is taking shape with Russia, the lynchpin between Iran and North Korea," the Free Beaconquoted Rubin.
It's no wonder Iran has no qualms about threatening the United States and Israel. With plenty of money in its coffers, the military cooperation deal signed with Russia last January is taking shape beautifully.
