Photo: Depositphotos
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has sent Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to Moscow with a personal message to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the second round of nuclear talks with the United States. This was reported by Reuters on Thursday, 17 April.
The purpose of the Iranian diplomat’s visit was to strengthen support from Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and Tehran’s ally, with whom Iran has a history of cooperation in Syria, military agreements and strategic partnership.
“We have always had close consultations with our friends China and Russia on the nuclear issue. Now is a good opportunity to discuss with Russian officials,” Araqchi told Iranian state television.
According to him, the letter to Putin contains a discussion of regional and bilateral issues, as well as Tehran’s position on the ongoing negotiations.
Tensions between the US and Iran are growing
As a reminder, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran with bombings and sanctions against countries that buy Iranian oil if no agreement is reached on the disputed nuclear programme. The US has already deployed additional military aircraft to the region, demonstrating its readiness to take a hard line.
The first round of talks held last week in Oman was described by both sides as constructive. However, on the eve of the second meeting to be held in Rome this weekend, Iran has clearly outlined red lines: in particular, the right to enrich uranium is not subject to negotiation, Araqchi said.
Russia is a strategic partner, but not a guarantor
Russia, which signed the previous nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, which Trump withdrew from in 2018, has leverage as a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council. Although the Kremlin refused to comment on whether it is ready to take control of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, Moscow has stressed that any military strike on Iran would be illegal and unacceptable.
Despite the tensions between the West and Iran, Putin maintains close ties with Khamenei, and the strategic partnership between the two countries has been strengthened after the signing of a 20-year agreement earlier this year. It is worth noting that the document does not contain provisions on mutual defence, but Russia has purchased weapons from Iran for the war against Ukraine, which underscores the depth of interdependence.
The West is concerned
Western countries have expressed concern that Iran is enriching uranium to a level close to weapons-grade, which exceeds the limits permissible for a civilian nuclear programme. Iran denies any attempts to build nuclear weapons, insisting on the right to peaceful atoms.
Negotiations between Tehran and Washington could become a key moment for curbing a new arms race in the Middle East – and in this context , Russia’s position could become either a stabilising or a destructive factor, depending on the Kremlin’s geopolitical calculations.
