Why Iran won’t work as a bargaining chip between Russia, US
Russia and Iran have enough overlapping interests to keep their relationship strong, even if the United States tries to interfere.
There's been a lot of talk recently about US President Donald Trump's supposed effort to drive a wedge between Moscow and Tehran. The idea looks half-baked.
The Wall Street Journal last month cited "senior administration, European and Arab officials involved in the policy discussions" on Syria and the Islamic State (IS) as saying Trump is looking to partner with Russia while pressuring Iran, especially regarding its nuclear status.
Developing a missile defense system has naturally been part of Iran's military doctrine. However, it appears that the date Iran set for its test of a ballistic missile was not chosen spontaneously, coming two days after Trump implemented a travel ban Jan. 27 on nationals of Iran and six other Muslim-majority countries. Yet, even Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei himself probably did not expect Trump to react so quickly and so bluntly to the missile test, putting Iran "on notice" Feb. 1, introducing new sanctions and promising to increase pressure on the regime.
Demonstrations followed in Iran. Some protests coincided with traditional rallies on Feb. 10, the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Crowds also took to the streets in Tehran and other Iranian cities speaking out against Trump's general attitude toward Iran: His outwardly hostile approach is perceived as a harbinger of future attempts to encroach on Iranian policies.
