Of course it’s a deal

Meir Javedanfar at the Guardian has an article entitled “Did the US do a deal with Russia?”  Duh.   I wonder when Israel sends a wry thank you letter to Poland and the Czech Republic.

Should Russia desert Iran’s side and join the west, China could find itself standing alone. Under such circumstances, its leadership could also decide that the cost of supporting Iran far outweighs the benefits. This would mean that the US achieved two goals, with one move.

Obama’s decision shows that the US president is prioritising. Although the missile defence shield is important, stopping Iran from becoming armed with nuclear weapons is far more vital. America could always replace the system in the future. It has no “point of no return”. But Iran’s path to becoming a nuclear state does, and the US president seems to be applying smart chess moves to prevent this from happening.