A number of developments of the past 24-48 hours may be indications of the growing threat of a new war in the Southwest Asia region, primarily between Israel and Iran but which could likely draw in other regional powers as well along with the U.S. and Russia.
• In Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh warned today that Iran will stop implementing the additional protocol for strict inspections of Iran’s nuclear program with the International Atomic Energy Agency if the other participants of the Iran nuclear deal fail to uphold their commitments under the document by Feb. 21. The deadline was set in the legislation passed by the parliament in the aftermath of the Fakhrizadeh assassination. He stressed, however, that Iran will remain a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and continue to observe its safeguards agreement, but will no longer allow any IAEA supervision beyond those agreements.
• Iranian officials meanwhile, are talking about upgrading military cooperation with Russia to include weapons purchases now that the UN arms embargo that had been in effect as part of the 2015 nuclear deal has expired. “We have military cooperation with Russia. And when restrictions were lifted, Russia became one of the countries where we can buy weapons, and we can cooperate with it to protect our territory and the security of the region,” Senior Assistant to Iranian Foreign Minister in Special Political Affairs Ali-Asghar Khaji told Sputnik.
• Iranian officials also announced today that a joint exercise of the Iranian and Russian navies kicks off on Feb. 16. Iranian and Russian Navy forces and aviation units of the Iranian Army and the IRGC will participate at “The Maritime Security Belt Exercise,” the spokesman said, reported by IRNA. Russia has dispatched a destroyer, a logistic warship and a helicopter to the maneuvers, he also said. The drills themed “Joint Cooperation at the sea for the security of maritime trade” will be staged at an area of 17,000 km, the spokesman said.
