TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — On Friday, Iran reached out to Russia for support.
possible deal with Washington
about Tehran’s swiftly progressing nuclear program, prior to a
a second set of discussions will take place in Rome over the weekend
.
Iran’s
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that he updated his Russian counterpart on the details.
, Sergey Lavrov, on the
The initial round of discussions, held in Oman earlier this week,
, and praised Russia’s role in Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that led to lifting of sanctions in return for Tehran’s cap on its nuclear activities.
“We remain optimistic and anticipate that Russia will sustain its contributive stance in any forthcoming accord,” stated Araghchi during a shared press briefing alongside Lavrov in Moscow.
The 2015
The nuclear agreement fell apart after only three years when Trump withdrew from it without consulting others.
While America adhered to the agreement, Iran ceased observing all limitations on its nuclear activities and has begun enriching uranium up to 60% purity—close to weapon-grade at around 90%.
Lavrov stated that Russia was prepared to act as mediators and help with the nuclear discussions.
We are prepared to assist, facilitate, and take on any role that appears beneficial from Iran’s perspective and is also agreeable to the United States,” Lavrov stated. “Our stance remains that the sole possibility for an accord, as the Iranian minister mentioned earlier, should focus solely on nuclear matters.
Lavrov said Araghchi met with Russian President
Vladimir Putin
on Thursday in talks that “emphasized the unprecedented dynamics of (the) political dialogue” between Moscow and Tehran. He did not give details, beyond saying Putin was “very pleased” with the talks.
Araghchi stated that he delivered a message from Supreme Leader Ayatollah to Putin.
Ali Khamenei
He didn’t provide further details on who holds ultimate authority over all state affairs in Iran.
In Paris, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio conveyed his optimism about the discussions with Iran being “productive” and potentially leading to meaningful outcomes. He added that everyone involved would favor a solution achieved through peace that endures over time.
In Paris, Rubio convened meetings with British, French, and German officials and urged them to keep the sanctions against Iran intact rather than letting them expire.
“We can expect, considering the public statements from yesterday, that they will soon receive a report from the IAEA indicating not only that Iran is non-compliant but also that Iran is perilously near developing a nuclear weapon, closer than ever before,” stated Rubio.
He continued, “Subsequently, the Europeans will need to decide if they wish to reinstate these sanctions. If Iran fails to comply, those sanctions must be reapplied.”
In Rome, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had a discussion with his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi, who came to the city as a mediator before the upcoming U.S.-Iran negotiations set for Saturday. During their encounter,
Tajani expressed appreciation for Oman’s mediating efforts, stating that Italy completely backs this stance and is prepared to endorse additional initiatives aimed at fostering peace and global stability.
He voiced his optimism that the discussions in Rome “could substantially speed up the talks” between the U.S. and Iran aiming to achieve “the diplomatic resolution crucial for stabilizing the whole Middle East region.”
