Russian Ambassador Again Contradicts Iran's FM On Nuclear Talks

Russia’s ambassador to the IAEA has once again criticized Iran on an issue related to the nuclear talks in Vienna that Tehran has refused to attend since June.

Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov rejected a remark by Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Wednesday that Tehran does not want to return to the negotiations amid an impasse.

“We respect his views but to my mind there was no deadlock at all. We need to learn more about possible new elements in the Iranian position. At this juncture it is too early to judge,” Ulyanov replied to a tweet on Thursday.

Iran announced on Wednesday that it will return to the Vienna talks until the end of November but at the same time Amir-Abdollahian demanded that the United States should unfreeze $10 billion of Iran’s money as a sigh of “goodwill”.

Ulyanov earlier had taken his first jab at the Iranian foreign minister for repeating that Tehran will return to the talks “soon”.

"Does anybody know what it can mean in practical terms?" Ulyanov said in a tweet in a rare biting language on October 23.

On Thursday, however, Russia’s Sputnik website reported that Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani will visit Moscow to discuss the nuclear talks.