Could Ukraine Conflict lead to Russian-Iranian dispute?
Statements by officials from Iran and Russia showed signs of a difference in views between the two countries regarding the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the nuclear talks in Vienna.
Russian FM Sergey Lavrov considered that US sanctions against his country had become a “stumbling block” to returning to the Iranian nuclear agreement.
Iranian officials described this approach as “not constructive.”
Reuters quoted a senior Iranian official on Saturday as saying that Russia’s demand for written guarantees from the US that sanctions against Moscow would not harm its cooperation with Iran was “not constructive” for talks between Tehran and world powers aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran has not issued any official statement so far, regarding its position on the Russian demands that link the security guarantees it is requesting from the US to the development of the course of the Vienna talks on the nuclear agreement.
The Russian announcement, which may “torpedo the indirect talks” according to “Reuters”, comes at a time when Western and Iranian officials have said they are close to reaching an agreement to restore the nuclear deal.
Also, shortly after Tehran said that it had agreed on a road map with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the UN to resolve outstanding issues, which may contribute to reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the major powers.
In his statement to Reuters, the Iranian official added, “The Russians put this request on the table two days ago.
Meanwhile, Lavrov warned the West that Russia’s national interests should be taken into account, pointing out that sanctions against Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine created a “problem” from Moscow’s point of view.
