ARTICLE: Russia flits from Tehran to Washington, By Dmitry Shlapentokh, Asia Times Online, Jul 3, 2009

Neat piece that shows the interconnectedness of America's Iranian and Russian portfolios.

This is why I continue to be pessimistic about any efforts Obama will make to forestall Iran's reach for the bomb, and after the botched election, Iran is more incentivized than ever.

We simply won't cut deals with Russia, or Iran, or Turkey, or India, or China. We want their strategic help for our preferred endstate but we're unprepared to account much at all for their desired endstates.

And if you're not prepared to make such deals happen, then you should expect to be frustrated on Iranian nukes and you should expect Af-Pak to become a quagmire.

(Thanks: Terry Collier)