Blinken Tells Russia 'We Share Interest' Against Iran Nukes

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Thursday told his Russia counterpart, Sergei Lavrov that the two countries have a shard interest in preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

In a meeting of 57 foreign ministers in Stockholm, Sweden, Blinken who was urging cooperation with Russia said, “we have shared interests that we are working on together, including a shared interest in Iran not acquiring a nuclear weapon. Our colleagues are working together in Vienna as the talks proceed.”

Russia is one of six countries who negotiated and signed the 2015 nuclear agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. The US pulled out of the agreement in 2018, but Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France and Germany who remained in the deal are holding talks with Iran to see if they could revive the agreement.

Russia is Iran’s diplomatic ally and generally backs Tehran’s position in the nuclear dispute, but Russia’s interests in the region also present a complicated picture, as it cultivates good relation with some of Tehran’s regional rivals.

Blinken referred to shared interests on Iran as he was warning Lavrov about Russia taking aggressive action against Ukraine. In recent days, European countries have become alarmed at Russian military moves that could signal action against Ukraine.