“The US intelligence is concerned about the situation in the Nagorno Karabakh and the probability of appearing new flashpoints in Eurasia”, said the Director of US National Intelligence James R. Clapper in his report to the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. “The unresolved conflicts in the Caucasus and the fragility of some Central Asian states present most likely flashpoints in the Eurasia region. The Nagorno-Karabakh is another potential flashpoint. Heightened rhetoric and distrust between the sides, as well as continuous violence on the contact line raise the risk of miscalculations that could escalate the situation without warning”, Clapper said.
Iran has joined Russia and China as one of the “most menacing foreign intelligence threats” to the U.S., Clapper testified and added that foreign intelligence services from those three countries “will remain the top threats to the United States in the coming years.” Director of National Intelligence acknowledged that sanctions so far had not caused Iran’s leaders to change their pursuit of nuclear capabilities. /APA/