 "A worker rides a bicycle in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran, on October 26, 2010. AP File")
Russia on Tuesday said that it will help the Trump administration in communicating with Iran regarding its nuclear program and the Islamic Republic’s support towards anti-US proxies, a report by Bloomberg quoted sources as saying.
The development comes after US President Donald Trump relayed the message to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on a phone call last month showing interest in Iran’s nuclear programme.
Sources told the publication that officials from the US government discussed the matter with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia a few days after the Trump-Putin phone call.
“Russia believes that the United States and Iran should resolve all problems through negotiations,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Bloomberg, adding that Moscow “is ready to do everything in its power to achieve this.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from Iran’s foreign ministry said it was only “natural” for countries to offer their assistance when asked whether Russia has offered to delegate between Tehran and Washington.
Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, said in a news conference, “Given the significance of these matters, it’s possible that many parties will show good will and readiness to help with various problems.”
He added, “From this perspective, it’s natural that countries will present an offer of help if it’s needed.”
Senior US and Russian officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, met in Riyadh on February 18 to discuss Washington’s interest in Moscow’s involvement in addressing Iranian issues.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSince returning to the White House, Trump has sent mixed messages regarding Iran. He has pledged to revive the “maximum pressure” strategy from his first term, which included reimposing sanctions and targeting Iranian security forces—such as the assassination of a top general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. At the same time, he has expressed a desire to “immediately” pursue a “verified nuclear peace agreement with Iran.”
On the other hand, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has said that Trump cannot be trusted and that “Iran would not be bullied into negotiations.”