A senior Russian military analyst warned yesterday that the U.S. and NATO had used the conflict in Georgia as a dress rehearsal for a future military operation in Iran. Col. Gen Leonid Ivashov, president of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Studies, speaking at a news conference told the Russian news and information agency , Novosti :
"We are close to a serious conflict - U.S. and NATO preparations on a strategic scale are ongoing. In the operation the West conducted on Georgian soil against Russia - South Ossetians were the victims or hostages of it - we can see a rehearsal for an attack on Iran.