Russia cheers on US-Iran nuke talks

The Kremlin says Russia backs both direct and indirect talks between Iran and the US over Tehran’s nuclear program that it predicts could lead to a de-escalation of tensions between the two sides.

In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterates Russia’s support for a diplomatic and political settlement.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced what he called direct, high-level contacts set to take place on April 12. Iran describes the talks, planned to occur in Oman, as indirect.

Russia and Iran have deepened their diplomatic and military ties since Moscow ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Russia has previously offered to help facilitate talks between Tehran and Washington.

Earlier, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev predicted more countries would get nuclear weapons in the coming years, blaming the West for pushing the world toward the brink of World War III by waging a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine.

Diplomats say the remarks from the anti-Western Kremlin hawk give an indication of thinking at the top levels of the Kremlin elite.

“The situation is such that even with the complete cessation of the conflict over so-called ‘Ukraine,’ nuclear disarmament in the coming decades is impossible,” Medvedev wrote on his official Telegram channel.

“The world will create new, more destructive types of weapons, and new countries will acquire nuclear arsenals.”