Russia says talks with US will have no impact on cooperation with Iran
As the two Cold War foes meet in Riyadh, Moscow’s foreign ministry stresses the value it sees in ‘good relations’ with Tehran and says it will help resolve its nuclear problems
MOSCOW — The start of Russia-US talks will have no impact on Moscow’s cooperation with Tehran, the TASS news agency reported on Tuesday, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Russia is ready to help Iran solve problems related to its nuclear program, Peskov added.
“Moscow attaches great importance to good relations with Iran and intends to develop them comprehensively, including providing assistance in solving the main problems, including the nuclear program,” Peskov was quoted as saying in an interview he gave to the IRNA news agency.
His remarks came as US and Russian officials met in Riyadh for the most significant talks to date between the two former Cold War foes on ending Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Iran on Monday vowed to defend its nuclear program and said that Israel and the US “cannot do a damn thing” after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Jewish state “can and will finish the job” against it.
Netanyahu made the comment at a joint press conference in Jerusalem on Sunday with visiting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Iran was “behind every terrorist group” in the region and that a nuclear Iran could “never happen.”
Iran, whose leaders are sworn to Israel’s destruction, has formally rejected nuclear weapons. However, it has continued to advance its nuclear program, accelerating the enrichment of uranium to up to 60 percent purity, close to the roughly 90% needed to assemble a nuclear warhead. Critics say there are no civilian purposes for such highly enriched uranium
On Friday, the UN nuclear watchdog chief said time was running out to rein in Iran’s nuclear program. Meanwhile, US intelligence has reportedly assessed that Israel is likely to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities in the coming year.
Netanyahu is also said to have discussed a potential strike with US President Donald Trump, and it has been further reported that the US has supplied Israel with heavy munitions required for such an operation.
Trump said earlier this month that he prefers to cut a deal with Iran than “bombing the hell out of it” and that “if we made the deal, Israel wouldn’t bomb them.”
In his first term, the US president backed out of his predecessor Barack Obama’s 2015 deal that saw Western powers give Iran sanctions relief in return for some oversight of its nuclear program. The largely defunct deal signed by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — the UK, France, China, and Russia plus Germany — is set to expire in October.
In Riyadh, the two sides were expected to discuss ways to end the conflict in Ukraine and restore American-Russian relations. The conversation could pave the way for a summit between Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine, which is not attending the talks, says no peace deal can be made on its behalf in Riyadh.
Russia said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would meet top US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in talks that would focus on ending the Ukraine war and restoring “the whole complex” of Russia-US ties.
