Russia may withdraw support for Iran’s nuclear program

Russia has threatened to withdraw its support for Iran’s nuclear program unless Teheran revokes its $4bn lawsuit against state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport in the Geneva-based International Court of Justice, Kommersant business daily reported, citing a source within the Russian government.

The Russian authorities believe that Iran is ungrateful for Russia’s consistent efforts to back Iran’s right to a peaceful nuclear program during international negotiations, the source said.

In response to Iran’s unwelcome move, Russia is prepared to assume a harsh position against Iran and take this problem from the legal to the political level. However, Russia does not rule out a peaceful resolution and will send a delegation to Teheran before the six-party talks on Iran’s nuclear program slated for late August.

Should Iran fail to withdraw its claim, it will have to defend its right to uranium enrichment without reliance on Russia, the government said.

Moscow has opposed severe sanctions against Iran and pushed for this dispute to be resolved through negotiations until recently, whereas the U.S. and its allies have claimed that diplomacy is not the way to settle the problem. If Russia stops supporting Iran, Israel will ultimately be convinced to launch a military strike against that country, Kommersant claims.

Iranian Ambassador to Russia Seyed Mahmoud Reza Sajjadi commented on the lawsuit that Teheran sought mere $900m from Moscow, while the court awarded larger compensation.

Under an $800m contract Russia was to supply five S-300 air-defense complexes to Iran. However, the then President Dmitry Medvedev signed in July 2010 a decree on the implementation of the UN Security Council’s fourth resolution, which prohibits air-defense arms supplies to Iran. Russia gave back a $167m advance payment.