The Obama administration plans to prevent Russia from selling its Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighters to Iran by vetoing the approval for the possible deal at the UN Security Council, but the US president could well cross his latest self-imposed "red line" like he's done in the past, Washington Times columnist L. Todd Wood asserted.

"I doubt that the Kremlin will be stopped in�their desire to�earn hard foreign currency by�any American action at�the United Nations. It is highly likely that this Obama 'red line' will go the way of�all the others before�it," he noted, referring among�other things to�Obama's "red line" on�Syria.

In August 2013, the US president appeared to�be determined to�launch a strike on�the war-torn Arab country because Damascus allegedly used chemical weapons against�civilians. Bashar al-Assad has repeatedly denied these accusations.

Obama later decided not to�proceed with�the military option. In the months that followed, the Syrian government destroyed its stockpile of�chemical weapons under�a deal brokered by�Russia. Critics, like�former US defense secretary Robert Gates say that Obama's decision to�refrain from�using force once a "red line" was drawn affected Washington's credibility.

In mid-February reports emerged that Russia and Iran were planning to�ink arms deals worth more than $8 billion.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Russian-made Yak-130 trainer/strike aircraft[/caption]

Tehran was said to�be interested in�purchasing Sukhoi Su-30SM multirole fighters, Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft, Mil Mi-8 and Mil Mi-17 transport helicopters, as�well as�K-300P Bastion-P mobile coastal defense missile systems, frigates and diesel-electric submarines.

The deal for�the delivery of�the Su-30 is expected to�be signed in�2016, a source in�a high-ranking official in�the Russian Federal Service for�Military-Technical Cooperation told RIA Novosti at�the time.

In February, the White House said that the sale of�fighter jets to�Iran would violate a UN Security Council arms embargo. The nuclear deal reached in�July between�Iran and the P5+1 � which includes Russia and the United States � upheld the arms ban for�five years.

By Sputnik News