Russian and U.S. Leaders on Iran’s Nuclear Programme

IAEA Director General Mohamed El-Baradei declared that U.S. President Barack Obama's proposals to Iranian leaders may facilitate a peaceful settlement in the Middle East.

President Obama said he did not expect "overnight change in U.S. - Iranian relations." The President went on to state that speaking about Iran, they have already made a video address and sent this message to the people and leadership of Iran. "We expect that we are going to make steady progress on this front," he noted. Obama stressed that the U.S. will not be able to achieve peace in the Middle East overnight. "However, if you are persistent, then these problems can be dealt with," he added.

The threat of U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear facilities is much lower today, and American command continues to reduce deployment in the region. According to a source in Moscow yesterday, "the Pentagon does not have sufficient grouping and resources in the region for an airborne operation to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities. The probability of such attack is close to nil."

Today the Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the State Duma Konstantin Kosachev said that Moscow is not in a position to call the Iranian nuclear programme transparent until the IAEA's concerns are cleared up. Kosachev said, "I presume that the Russian - U.S. and Russian - European dialogues on Iran, as well as the dialogue between Russia and China and other Asian governments will become more effective, and that finally Iran will join the discussion."