Moscow's Envoy Says Iran Deal Doesn’t Depend Just On Russia

Following a pause in Iran nuclear talks, Russia’s lead envoy said negotiations will continue with all delegations during the pause to settle remaining issues.

Speaking to reporters at the venue of the negotiations in Vienna on Friday, Mikhail Ulyanov said he is not aware of the pause called by EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell, presumably over Moscow’s demands, adding, “I’m not aware of any impasse. Break? The Europeans left Vienna a week ago.”

He implicitly rejected the idea that the reason behind the pause is Russia’s demands for a US guarantee that its ties with Iran should be exempted from Western sanctions imposed for the invasion of Ukraine, stating, “The conclusion of the deal doesn’t depend on Russia only”.

Calls for a pause in Iran's nuclear talks gathered momentum as both Tehran and the European Union hinted at a temporary break, with Borrell saying that a draft text is "essentially ready", but hampered by "external factors".

"As coordinator, I will, with my team, continue to be in touch with all JCPOA participants and the US to overcome the current situation and to close the agreement", Borrell said on his Twitter account.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh shortly after Borrell's statement tweeted that a pause in the negotiations "could be a momentum for resolving any remaining issue and a final return."