Putin: Nuclear Iran OK, but threats against Israel unacceptable
Israel Hayom | Putin: Nuclear Iran OK, but threats against Israel unacceptable.
Russian president backs Tehran’s right to pursue peaceful nuclear capabilities but slams aggressive rhetoric against Jewish state • “When we hear from Iran that Israel must be destroyed — I think this is completely unacceptable,” he says.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin
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Photo credit: AFP
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that while Iran has the right to pursue peaceful nuclear capabilities, Tehran’s continuous threats against Israel are “unacceptable.”
“Iran is in a very difficult region and when we hear threats from Iran against its neighbors, particularly Israel, when we hear from Iran that Israel must be destroyed — I think this is completely unacceptable,” he said during an interview with Moscow’s state-run English-language channel RT.
Putin appeared to be referring to comments made over the years by Iran’s outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who will stand down when his second term expires shortly after Friday’s national election.
Putin, whose country is among six world powers seeking to ensure that Iran does not seek to develop nuclear weapons, said he had no doubt that Iran is adhering to international commitments on nuclear non-proliferation, but “regional and international concerns about Tehran’s nuclear program could not be ignored.”
In recent years Moscow has taken a more stern line with Tehran, including a demand for it to cooperate with United Nations nuclear inspectors.
Putin said that Iran should not be “discriminated against” with demands for it to abandon its nuclear program. Washington was “exaggerating the dangers posed by Iran. The United States uses Iran to unite Western allies against some real or nonexistent threat,” he said.
Russia is a close trading partner of Iran’s and its technology has been used in most of Iran’s nuclear facilities. Moscow also has several pending arms deals with the Islamic republic, including one to supply it with the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system.
Under the contract, signed in 2007, Russia was required to provide Iran with five S-300 batteries, but the West’s growing concern about the nature of the Iranian nuclear program has prompted Moscow to suspend the deal indefinitely.
Russia has offered Iran several other weapons systems in lieu of the advanced long range surface-to-air missile system, but Iran has rejected all offers. In August 2011, Iran filed a complaint against Russia with the International Court of Justice in The Hague over the botched deal.
WarSclerotic 
June 12, 2013 at 4:17 PM
Some days ago, Joseph and I had an intellectual dispute over the issue ” russians on Golan are good or bad for Israel ” and in one of my responses I have pointed out the fact that Putin helped Iran to build all its nuclear infrastructure, but when the iranians threatened Israel with annihilation, he did nothing. Now, Putin has decided that enough is enough, he won’t stand the iranians ideology anymore, so Putin have spoken : Iran can be nuclear, of course, but threatening Israel with a second Holocaust is not acceptable. Did you hear him ? Putin ”thinks” that genocide is not good. Just like that. We can tell Putin that his rhetoric is good for telling stories to his young girl friend, but when we are dealing with holocaust threats, he should keep his sh!t for himself, we dont need this kind of condemnation of the issue.
June 12, 2013 at 5:06 PM
putin is a liar putin was behind the threats Putin is behind Hezbollah nothing has changed Putin wants to destroy Israel and will if you let him no quarter death to Russia
June 12, 2013 at 4:49 PM
Another move on the chessboard. He is telling Iran to shut up. I think that Putin intends to send Russian forces into Syria to save Assad in the very near future daring Israel to attack. In return Syria will grant Russia a large percentage of profits from whatever oil and minerals that found in Syrian territorial waters. This is a huge gamble and Israel must call his bluff.
June 12, 2013 at 5:07 PM
right and true russia is snake following its longterm plan
June 12, 2013 at 6:06 PM
Good to read that Russia is firmly behind Iran’s nuclear energy- and research program. This in contrast with the claims emanating from Washington that the P5 + 1 are united in the view that Iran should give up its rights to enriching uranium and do nuclear research.
June 12, 2013 at 7:01 PM
It’s not a research program. It’s a nuclear weapons research program.
It remains to be seen how firmly Russia will be behind you when you are attacked by Israel.
June 12, 2013 at 7:29 PM
Good one.
June 12, 2013 at 8:07 PM
I wouldn’t give the Iranians too much credit. It’s really a Nuclear Weapons Technology Acquisition Program. For what they want to use it for, the research has already been done years ago.
June 12, 2013 at 9:37 PM
HE who watches over Israel never slumbers nor sleeps and when HE hears Putin speaking HE’s shaking HIS head : what a fool, this Putin ! He wants to fight ME and MY firstborn, Israel ? What an unbelievable fool, this Putin ! I will crush him and his kingdom in a twinkle of my eyes ! But my firstborn Israel is safe in MY mighty hands ! Woe, woe to those who dare to touch MY firstborn Israel !