The New Battleground

In one of the earlier posts, I had discussed how nuclear politics is overtaking oil politics. I had given the example of Iran. A lot of water has flown under the bridge in the short time and the situation has become very interesting. With China and Russia have acknowledged US and Western Europe on the fact that the world can't afford another nation with nuclear arms, they are still backing Iran as a counter to US presence in Middle East, for the ever increasing momentous energy requirements of China and utilization of Iranian ports by Russia.

US has committed and is continuing to do so for fighting a nuclear armed Iran. It is even armtwisting China, Russia and many other countries to pass the UNSC bill, post which inspectors can check Iranian ships entering the ports of the countries for any nuclear material. Iran is trying to do some backdoor negotiations with Turkey and Brazil to ship half of its nuclear stockpile to them. But for sure US wants more. it wants Iran to declare all its sites and allow full inspection by IAEA (though US might not wants this exactly given the frosty relations between the two). The support given to US by China must have surely not been unconditional (given the gas guzzler China is fast becoming). Russia is still jittery about leaving its old time friend and business partner. But the US is dedicating its best people to ensure regulation of nuclear trade all around the world.

All this make me believe the power of nuclear energy that is being rediscovered by the world as a whole- both as a destructor and a constructor. The new cornerstone in US' geopolitical instance in last few years (esp after AQ Khan episode) is becoming nuclear issues. WIll Oil continue to hole the same geopolitical significance? Time will tell