Iran Bandwagon ... Amano on board?

Iran Bandwagon ... Amano on board?

Iran's stance towards IAEA alarms Russia, declares the FT.

Russia hints it will back Iran sanctions calls, claims The Times.

Russia 'very alarmed' by Iran nuclear report, says The Daily Telegraph.

These papers, like much of the media, have chosen to focus on the comments of  Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov responding  to the latest IAEA report.

What, then, to make of the comments made by Lavrov's deputy, Sergei Ryabkov?

"The term 'crippling sanctions' on Iran is totally unacceptable to us. The sanctions should aim at strengthening the regime of non- proliferation. We have always favoured the resolution of problems regarding the Iranian nuclear programme through dialogue and, if possible, interaction with Iran."

Only a handful of outlets, like Xinhua and Iran's own Press TV, seem to think that this statement, which unlike the other expressions of concern seems to amount to an actual policy statement, merits a headline.

The IAEA report marks a sudden hardening of the body's stance towards Iran, coinciding with the arrival of a new director Yukiya Amano, who took the post after a narrow victory supported by western powers but opposed by developing nations.

With the IAEA now on board the Washington bandwagon, and the papers prematurely declaring Russian support too, what of the last remaining hold-out on the UN Security Council?

The International Crisis Group lays out why it thinks that China will continue to resist any new sanctions, at least for now.