Another war! Iran testing Russia's S-400 air defense system? What's behind Khamenei-Putin secret deal
Open-source intelligence, using satellite images, has reportedly confirmed that Iran tested the S-400 Triumph system in Isfahan. A report from the Defense Security Asia website stated the Iranian S-400 air defense system consisted of the 91N6E acquisition radar, 92N6E engagement radar, a central command-and-control vehicle, and several 5P85TE2 transporter erector launchers. The sources indicated during the test, a 48N6E3 missile (250 km range) was launched, and it is quite probable that the long-range 40N6 missile (380-400 km strike capability) was also activated.
In June during the war, Israel destroyed Iran's air defense systems and radars first. Then it conducted persistent airstrikes with flying capabilities using fighter jets on dozens of targets of Iran. Israel purported it was in control of its airspace. There are still significant tensions between Israel and Iran and numerous reports indicating there is potential for another conflict with the deployment of Iran's S-400 Air Defense System, allowing Iran to dethrone Israeli overarching air capabilities in Iranian skies.
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Prof Sachs: I am shocked by the ineptitude of the Trump team. I always told my friends in India not to count on the US, as the US is out for itself and is not trustworthy. Still, the brazenness of the Trump administration's actions surprised me. Q The issue does not seem to be about Russian oil alone, or just the trade deficit. Why do you think India-US relations seem to be going downhill under Trump? Prof Sachs: Trump does not think ahead. He and his team are impetuous. There is no long-term strategy. Nonetheless, I warned Indian officials not to believe that the US market would be wide open for India's exports. I said that the US is becoming protectionist, and that this would apply to India as well. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD US President Donald Trump unleashed a blistering tirade against New Delhi on Thursday. File image/AP Q India and the US have been building their relationship on many fronts - economy, defence, geopolitics - in the past couple of years. Do you think Trump's recent moves against India will undo some of that? Prof Sachs: Definitely. Trump's actions have opened many eyes. The US is not a true ally of any country today. It acts unilaterally, and often against the interests of its closest neighbours (e.g. Canada and Mexico) and supposed long-term allies. India should be aware of two main things. First, the US will be unilateral in its actions. Second, the US will be protectionist. Third, India should not allow itself to be 'used' against China, such as in the Quad, which is a very misguided initiative. Q How do you think Trump's tariffs will hurt America's economy? Prof Sachs: They will make the US economy less competitive, and they will make US assets less attractive. Thus, they will slow US growth and raise US interest rates. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Q. What role do you see for Brics during a tariff war with the US? What should be the grouping's strategy? Prof Sachs: The Brics should defend the WTO and maintain open trade amongst themselves. China and India should deepen their trade relations for mutual benefit, and should strive to solve other outstanding issues between them (notably the border issues). Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures next to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa as he poses for the family photo during the Brics Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil July 7. Reuters Q Do you think Trump's tariff move against India has something to do with Russia and the Ukraine war, or China? Prof Sachs: The US is first and foremost targeting China, then Russia, and then India and Brazil. The US, especially the Trump Administration, does not like other major powers that do not pay obeisance to the US. That is why all the five original Brics are under attack by the US (including not only Brazil, Russia, India, and China, but also South Africa). Q Do you think Trump's modified reciprocal tariffs were his way of diverting attention from the Epstein scandal? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prof. Sachs: No. He is using other means to divert attention from the Epstein scandal. Q What do you think India's strategy should be to navigate the Trump Tariffs? Prof Sachs: In the aftermath of the Alaska Summit, India should request the US to cancel immediately and without further notice the 25% 'penalty' tariff due to India's purchase of Russian oil. On a strategic level, India should not rely on export growth to the US market. It might happen, but US protectionism might stop it. India should instead focus on other markets, including the Brics and RCEP (the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, now including China, Japan, Korea, Asean-10, Australia, and New Zealand). India should indeed join RCEP, which would add dynamism to India's economy and to the South and East Asian economies more generally. Q While Trump had issues with India trading with Russia, why does he not maintain the same scrutiny for China, the EU and the US itself, which still trades with Russia? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prof Sachs: Don't look for fairness or consistency in imperial actions. Empires do as they please, without following principles. America is no exception. Q India is one of the biggest oil importers in the world. If it does not meet its oil needs from Russia, it would buy from other players in the international market. This would eventually raise the global oil prices. This is why the Biden administration even praised India for keeping global oil prices stable. Why is there a change of policy in the Trump administration, whether the White House assessing this risk? Prof Sachs: Trump tried to cajole or threaten Russia into an immediate ceasefire. That failed. Since then, he has agreed with President Putin to reach a peace settlement that addresses the underlying reasons for the Ukraine War. This is a better approach. In line with that, Trump should immediately rescind the 25% 'penalty' tariff due to India's purchase of Russian oil. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump pose on a podium on the tarmac after they arrived to attend a meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, US. Reuters Q Does Trump's tariff move against India have anything to do with New Delhi's repeated denial of Trump's claim of the US brokering a ceasefire deal with Pakistan? Prof Sachs: I doubt it. Q Do you expect other US allies to take similar measures against India? Prof Sachs: No. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi enter a hall for the family photo before a plenary session of the BRICS 2024 Summit in Kazan, Russia, 23 October 2024. File Photo/Reuters Q Are Trump tariffs pushing India closer to Russia and China, given Doval's visit to Moscow and PM Modi's upcoming visit to Beijing? How is this helping American foreign policy? Prof Sachs: Yes, Trump's tariffs and foreign policy more generally are helping to unite the Brics. This is good for the world, since the Brics stand for multilateralism rather than US unilateralism, which serves neither the US nor the rest of the world.
