G-20: RUSSIA, IRAN AND THE BID TO END US UNILATERALISM(Source New Eastern Outlook)
According to western media’s own reports, the US Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Sigal Mandelker, sent a letter on May 7 warning that Instex, the European SPV to sustain trade with Tehran, and anyone associated with it could be barred from the US financial system if it goes into effect.
Certainly, neither Russia nor Iran (or China) want to see the same kind of treatment meted out to them in any possible way; hence, its decision to potentially confront, initially in a diplomatic way, the US over Iran. In this behalf, Russian Foreign Ministry reacted very strongly to the fresh sanctions that the US imposed on Iran following Iran’s downing of a super expensive US drone over Iranian air-space. It said in a statement that “This [new sanctions] is just the latest example of the continued US propensity to dictate its will to sovereign states. Imagining itself to be the master of the fate of the world, it adopts increasingly aggressive policies and is quick to “punish” those who refuse to submit to American dictates. Russia stands in full solidarity with the friendly people of Iran and its government. The US government should consider where such a reckless course of action might lead. Not only could it destabilise the Middle East, it threatens to undermine the entire system of international security.”
Russia’s particular position on Iran and how and why the US is trying to destabilise it is quite consistent with the vision agreed upon at the recent SCO summit in Bishkek where the SCO members made it clear that Iran cannot be allowed to be attacked and/or a regime change cannot be contemplated. Why Iran is important for Russia (and China) is the role it is supposed to play in the New Silk Roads and Eurasian economic connectivity programs that China and Russia are developing for quite some time now. If Iran is massively destabilised through a war, it will have direct impact on the economic connectivity plans or the neo geo-spatial politics emerging from Asia and signalling its potential of global domination.
Conversely speaking, the very reason why the US wants to hurt and “obliterate” Iran is not just Iran’s possession of ballistic missiles (although it might be the main concern of Saudi Arabia and Israel, it doesn’t directly hurt the US) or its influence in the Middle East, the main underlying reason for the US is Iran’s potential to help materialise the great potential of the Eurasian heartland and revamp the ancient silk routes to economic glory of Eurasia. This is something that directly affects the US’ own global position; hence, Russian (along with the Chinese) commitment to confront the US over Iran in a bid to protect a country that holds absolute vital importance for their route to a multipolar order, a goal that cannot be achieved unless the US unilateralism can be thwarted permanently.