Huh? WHAT border with Russia?
IRan's land borders are with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, IRaq and Kuwait
ping
They do not have much time: extractive economy based on depleting natural resources [Saudi Arabia has about 75 yrs of oil at today's reserves and rates of extraction. Russia has much less], plus demographics - say, 25-40 years tops.
Did Russia annex the former SSRs back and I missed it?
BTTT
So what? Russian territorial and nationalist ambition, disengaged from the Soviet Socialist expansionist threat, is a toothless tiger.
They're not going to conquer Iran; that much is certain. So if they get "influence" there, who cares? We clearly don't have any anyway.
Russia is not our friend. Given half a chance they would bury us.
Lee Harris corrected his Russian-Iranian border blunder. The article on the website is saying now: "...soil that not so long ago shared a convenient border with Iran..."
Russia can rebuild its military (and influence!) very quickly also.
Germany went from staggering defeat and 1000 percent inflation and starving people to Europe's strongest power (fighting to rebuild during a world-wide depression!) in only 16 years.
Much of Hitler's early success was due to the fact that Germany's enemies had disarmed, and Chamberlain (etc.) COULDN'T fight back with wat little was available.
England was re-arming (!) even after WWII began, even through '41 to try to catch up.
We've also disarmed.