RUSSIA INSIDER – Russia and Iran are obviously allies in Syria. Russia also wants to induce Iran into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization which would go a long way towards breaking Tehran’s international isolation. Next there is the equally important economic aspect. The two nations have cultivated a number of commercial links, whether it is Iranians exporting fish and vegetables or Russians selling arms and technology. But as befits two energy giants the two meat and bone of the economic relationship are energy deals, a number of them were signed just last week.