I. S. IVANOV Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences As I understand it, our discussion should ultimately be aimed at determining what Russia's interests are in the Iranian direction and what policy we should follow in this regard. But first, a few general comments. I would avoid such phrases as" Shia superpower " when applied to Iran. The term superpower seems to me to apply only to the United States and China on a global level. Russia, of course, remains a nuclear superpower. As for Iran, it can be considered as a regional power, based on the scale and potential capabilities of the country in the region. It is difficult for Iran to influence the development of the situation in the world. This is the first one. The second one concerns Iran's nuclear program as such. Today, the nuclear program in Iran is a national idea, around which all political forces are united. I do not know of any serious politician in Iran, either oppositional or non-oppositional, who would speak out for curtailing the nuclear program. No one talks about nuclear weapons there for political reasons: neither government officials nor moderates. We all know when the development of Iran's nuclear program began. If I am not mistaken, the question of creating nuclear weapons was never raised publicly under the Shah. They talked about the development of nuclear technologies and nuclear energy. After the radical regime change, this program has been preserved as a political slogan that is being implemented. Therefore, in my opinion, Iran will not give up its nuclear program in any situation, whether it changes the regime or preserves it. This is a reality that we must take into account and look at things as they are, and not as someone might like. The task of the international community must be to ensure that this nuclear program does not develop into a military program. How to achieve this is the next question, on which I will express my point of view a little later. As for the militar ... Читать далее