RUSSIA VOWS TO AID IRAN'S NUKE PROGRAM

Putin Warns U.S. Against Military Action in Iran - Robert Tait
Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, used a historic visit to Tehran - the first by a Kremlin leader since Stalin in 1943 - to amplify his opposition to an American attack against Iran. "We should not even think of making use of force in this region," he told a five-nation summit meeting of Caspian Sea nations on Tuesday. Putin called on the five countries - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Russia and Iran - not to allow an outside power to use their territories to launch an attack on another member of the group. His comments appeared to be aimed at Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic which has a partnership deal with NATO. It has been touted as a potential launching pad for U.S. strikes against Iran after American military commanders inspected its airfields. (Guardian-UK)

Vladimir Putin pledges to complete Iranian nuclear reactor (UK Times)
President Putin forged an alliance with Iran yesterday against any military action by the West and pledged to complete the controversial Iranian nuclear power plant at Bushehr.

A summit of Caspian Sea nations in Tehran agreed to bar foreign states from using their territory for military strikes against a member country. Mr Putin, the first Kremlin leader to visit Iran since the Second World War, insisted that the use of force was unacceptable.

“It is important . . . that we not only not use any kind of force but also do not even think about the possibility of using force,” he told the leaders of Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.