[Washington Post] Philip P. Pan and Karen DeYoung - As President Obama seeks to persuade Russia to help contain Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Kremlin has indicated it is willing to explore a deal with Washington, and analysts say it may be more open to new sanctions against Iran than expected. In a meeting last week with a bipartisan commission studying U.S. policy toward Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev expressed alarm in "very graphic language" over Iran's successful test launch of a satellite last month, linking it to Tehran's nuclear program, said Dmitri Simes, director of the commission and president of the Nixon Center in Washington. In another sign of Russian concern, Russian media reported that the Kremlin informed Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najar, in Moscow last month for talks on delivery of Russia's advanced S-300 antiaircraft missile system, that the deal was being put on hold.
2009-03-18 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive