Top Putin Aide Says US and Russia Struck Deal on Iran Negotiations
Washington and Moscow have reached an agreement to engage in talks concerning Iran, as announced by presidential aide Yury Ushakov following last month’s bilateral meeting in Riyadh. Read Full Article at RT.com
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President Donald Trump has intensified sanctions on Tehran while also expressing interest in negotiating over its nuclear program.
According to Yury Ushakov, a foreign policy aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Washington and Moscow decided to conduct separate discussions on Iran during last month’s high-level talks in Riyadh.
Senior officials from the U.S. and Russia met in Saudi Arabia in February, marking the first significant dialogue between the two nations since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022.
"We discussed the situation around Iran, yes. And we agreed to hold separate talks on this matter," Ushakov told the press on Tuesday, responding to inquiries about Western media reports on the discussions.
He noted that no specific date for these talks has been established yet.
Trump has imposed stricter sanctions on Iran, reaffirming his strategy of “maximum pressure” aimed at disrupting Tehran’s nuclear program, its network of regional proxies, and its conventional weapons capabilities. Simultaneously, he has indicated a willingness to revisit a nuclear agreement with Iran.
In 2015, Iran entered into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with world powers, agreeing to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. However, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the deal during his first term, which prompted Tehran to scale back its compliance with the agreement.
Germany, France, and the UK have insisted that Iran must abandon its nuclear program in any newly negotiated deal within the next few months, warning of additional sanctions if it fails to comply. This was highlighted by UK Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters last week.
In recent years, Iran has faced allegations of increasing its production of pre-weapons-grade uranium, which it has denied.
"Iran's nuclear program is within international frameworks,” and the treaty on non-proliferation, with the International Atomic Energy Agency having all the “necessary facilities” for monitoring it, emphasized Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esma’eel Baqayi during a press conference on Monday.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
According to Yury Ushakov, a foreign policy aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Washington and Moscow decided to conduct separate discussions on Iran during last month’s high-level talks in Riyadh.
Senior officials from the U.S. and Russia met in Saudi Arabia in February, marking the first significant dialogue between the two nations since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022.
"We discussed the situation around Iran, yes. And we agreed to hold separate talks on this matter," Ushakov told the press on Tuesday, responding to inquiries about Western media reports on the discussions.
He noted that no specific date for these talks has been established yet.
Trump has imposed stricter sanctions on Iran, reaffirming his strategy of “maximum pressure” aimed at disrupting Tehran’s nuclear program, its network of regional proxies, and its conventional weapons capabilities. Simultaneously, he has indicated a willingness to revisit a nuclear agreement with Iran.
In 2015, Iran entered into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with world powers, agreeing to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. However, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the deal during his first term, which prompted Tehran to scale back its compliance with the agreement.
Germany, France, and the UK have insisted that Iran must abandon its nuclear program in any newly negotiated deal within the next few months, warning of additional sanctions if it fails to comply. This was highlighted by UK Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters last week.
In recent years, Iran has faced allegations of increasing its production of pre-weapons-grade uranium, which it has denied.
"Iran's nuclear program is within international frameworks,” and the treaty on non-proliferation, with the International Atomic Energy Agency having all the “necessary facilities” for monitoring it, emphasized Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esma’eel Baqayi during a press conference on Monday.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
