Putin agrees to help Trump in nuclear talks with Iran
Pravda Ukraine
Russia has agreed to assist the administration of US President Donald Trump in engaging with Iran on issues related to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme and its support for anti-American proxies in the region.
Source: Bloomberg, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Trump directly conveyed his interest in this matter to Vladimir Putin during a phone call in February. Sources in Moscow familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic, revealed that a few days later, senior officials from his administration discussed the issue with their Russian counterparts in negotiations in Saudi Arabia. Neither Russia nor Iran has publicly confirmed or denied the request.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, responding to Bloomberg’s inquiry, stated that “Russia believes that the United States and Iran should resolve all problems through negotiations” and that Moscow “is ready to do everything in its power to achieve this”.
A representative of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, when asked whether Russia had offered to mediate between Tehran and Washington, replied that it is “natural” for countries to offer their assistance.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov shared details of the meeting with US officials in Saudi Arabia with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, during their meeting in Tehran, Araghchi said at a televised press conference afterward.
Background:
- Upon returning to the position of US president, Trump has been sending mixed signals regarding Iran. He stated his intention to return to the “maximum pressure” policy of his first term, including reinstating sanctions and targeting Iran’s security forces. However, Trump also expressed his desire to “immediately” begin working on a “verified nuclear peace deal with Iran”.
- As two nations under strict US sanctions, Russia and Iran have deepened their cooperation in trade, energy and security, including Russia’s use of a significant number of Iranian drones in its war against Ukraine.
- However, it remains unclear how receptive Tehran will be to any US proposals relayed through Russia. Many hardliners dominating key Iranian institutions, such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the judiciary, have publicly opposed engagement with Washington.
- Last month, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that Trump could not be trusted, citing his withdrawal from the Obama-era nuclear deal during his first term.
- At the end of February, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ruled out the possibility of direct negotiations with the United States regarding his country’s nuclear programme.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously emphasised that under Trump’s presidency, Iran would not acquire nuclear weapons.
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