The old bear was just hibernating

Ignoring U.S. objections, Iran and Russia yesterday signed a nuclear-fuel agreement that is key to bringing Tehran's first reactor online by mid-2006.

The expected but long-delayed deal dramatized President Bush's failure to persuade the Russians to curtail support for the Iranian nuclear program during his summit last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
  Seattle Times article

I guess Pooty-Poot was neither charmed by the goofy schtick, nor intimidated by the slightly veiled threats and badmouthing Russia's "democratic values".

I can't remember where I read it - a comment on somebody's blog: Iran has all that oil - what do they need nuclear power for?! Implying that the only reason is for weapons. A typical knee-jerking, America-the only power for the globe, everybody else is out to destroy us comment. Forget about the negative aspects of nuclear power for a moment. We use it anyway. As for the desire of another country to get into the nuclear energy business, this kind of comment refuses to take into account that nuclear energy is supposed to be cleaner. It also ignores the fact that for people from an oil-producing country, the inevitable price of oil will make them much richer by selling it to foreign consumers and using another type of energy for domestic consumption.

And never mind that nuclear weaponry could be its only defense against an aggressor state with nuclear weapons.

Under the deal, Russia will provide nuclear fuel to Iran, then take back the spent fuel, a step meant as a safeguard to ensure it cannot be diverted into a weapons program. Iran also has agreed to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor the Bushehr site and the fuel deliveries.

The White House and State Department declined comment.