by Con Coughlin
- The Iranian regime’s decision to give its backing to Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine… represents an alarming expansion in Iran’s military ambitions beyond the Middle East.
- Arguably Khamenei’s most revealing comment during the visit was his call for Iran and Russia to increase what he termed “reciprocal cooperation” between the two countries to counter the threat of Western sanctions.
- The concern now, say Western security officials, is that the commercial ties between the two countries will lead to closer military cooperation.
- Iran’s very public displays of support for Russia certainly undermine the long-standing assumption of American and European policymakers that the Iranian threat, allowing Iran unlimited nuclear weapons, relates only to the Middle East — and specifically against Israel.
- US President Joe Biden’s confused position on the Iran issue has been further exposed by the head of Britain’s MI6 intelligence agency, who told this month’s Aspen Security Forum that, in his view, Iran had shown little interest in negotiating a new nuclear deal.
- The truth of the matter is that Mr Biden’s policy on Iran has become completely untenable, and the sooner he and his officials recognise their courtship of Tehran is doomed to end in failure, the better it will be for all concerned.
- Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18762/iran-military-expansion-europe
