USA Africa Dialogue Series - Russia Warns Israel Over Iran

A Russian warning to Israel over Iran

As Russia says an Israeli strike against Iran would be a "serious mistake", we ask if a confrontation is brewing. Inside Story Last Modified: 09 Nov 2011 11:21 inShare1 l

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, has described any possible Israeli military strike against Iran as a "very serious mistake", adding that such action would have "unpredictable consequences". Lavrov's comments followed a warning by Shimon Peres, the Israeli president, that an attack on Iran is becoming more likely. It also comes after Western diplomats were briefed on the latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which details Iran's nuclear capabilities. The report includes allegations that Iranian engineers have had Soviet training to build detonators for triggering a nuclear chain reaction. In the midst of rising tension and saber rattling between Tehran and the West, could this be a new phase in the confrontation with Iran? And is the IAEA totally free from external influence? Inside Story discusses with guests: Joshua Goodman, a communications director at the Transatlantic Institute; Mohammad Marandi, an associate professor of American Studies at the University of Tehran; and Robert Kelley, a former director of the IAEA.