On Tuesay Iran tested long range missiles, which were intended to dissuade a U.S. and Israeli attack. The missiles, according to experts, have the capability of reaching Israel and U.S. installations across the Middle East.
The missiles have a range up to 1300 km (800 miles) and are capable to deliver a blow to Israel and the US Naval Base in Bahrain. With new threats by Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz the United States has positioned war ships in the Strait to keep this vital route open for the world's supply of oil.
With the explosive situation in Syria, an ally of Iran, coupled with this latest missile threat and defiance of the UN by both nations the importance of the Operational Missile Defence System have taken on new importance.
The missile defence system was high on the agenda both the NATO Alliance and during the G8 Summit in Chicago. In May NATO's Secretary General Fogh Rasmussen said that the Western Alliance is determined to move ahead with an operational missile defense system. The statement follows what Rasmussen called a comprehensive test.
"We will continue to expand the system toward full operational capability. The alliance has already developed an initial command-and-control system to link the US assets with sensors and interceptors provided by European allies. I expect more announcements in the months and years ahead."
An announcement by NATO leaders of an "interim capability" is was made during the Chicago Summit on May 20-21st.
The missile defense shield has caused frictions in the relationship between the U.S. and Russia and newly elected Russian President Vladimir Puttin skipped the G8 Summit. While Putin said that his attendance was cancelled due to the work he needs to do on his Cabinet, it is widely believed that it is as a protest against missile defense. President Putin and President Obama had a private meeting at the G20 in Mexico.
While there have been high level negotiations between Russia, NATO and the U.S., Russia is seeking a binding agreement to ensure the system is not being used against Russia. The U.S. and NATO are only prepared to give political assurances.
"We have not been able to find mutually-acceptable solutions at this point and the situation is practically at a dead end," said Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov.
The U.S. and Europeans are going ahead with the deployment of the first elements of the missile defence system. The United States says it is installing the system to protect European allies from an attack by Iran, which the Western allies fear is on the brink of developing a nuclear weapon.
Russia has been opposed to the missile shield from the outset and fears that the deployment would harm its own nuclear deterrence. Russia has warned that if the United States proceeds, it would be forced to unleash its own massive armament system if the U.S. did not address its concerns.
Rasmussen announced that NATO conducted a comprehensive test in April, which included US ships, radar and satellites, as well as interceptor batteries from Germany and the Netherlands.
According to Rasmussen the test was successful and that first elements of the US network of satellites, sensors and sea-based interceptors are already deployed to Europe.
Turkey, Romania, Poland and Spain have all agreed to host US assets, Rasmussen pointed out. Russia is particularly concerned about deployment of missile defense assets in former Warsaw Pact satellites. This was a hot issue during the Chicago Summit, which former Russian President Dimitry Medvednev attended.
While ObmaCare has been high on the political agenda since the decision was handed down by the Supreme Court, the econmy and foreign policy will no doubt be high in the next few weeks. Could the situation in the Middle East, particulary Syria and Iran be a game changer?
