Russian ambassador blames West for stalled Iran relations

Russia's ambassador to Iran, Alexey Dedov says that it is not Iran but Western countries that are unwilling to discuss normalizing relations.

In an interview with Russian media outlet RIA Novosti on Saturday, Dedov pointed to the recent IAEA Board of Governors resolution censuring Iran as evidence of the West to reach an agreement with Iran.
"Their latest steps - the adoption of an anti-Iranian statement at a session of the IAEA Board of Governors - show that the West is not ready to seek a compromise with Iran... It is not Iran, it is the West that is not ready for a serious conversation with Iran on the issue of normalizing relations," Dedov said.
Last month the UN nuclear watchdog's 35-nation IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution calling on Iran to step up cooperation with the watchdog and reverse its recent barring of inspectors despite concerns Tehran would respond with atomic escalation.

Iran continues to enrich uranium in what is seen as a program that could only be meant to produce nuclear weapons. Tehran also continues to provide assistance to a host of armed proxy groups throughout the Middle East.
Dedov further highlighted that following the election of Masoud Pezeshkian as Iran's new president, the majority of world leaders, including those from Russia, extended their congratulations. However, Iran did not receive any similar acknowledgments from Western leaders.
On June 7, Nabila Massrali, the spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, extended congratulations to Pezeshkian, saying the EU stands ready to engage with his administration.
On Monday, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby also affirmed that Pezeshkian’s election will not change the US negotiating position, signaling that the Biden administration is not ready to resume nuclear talks with Iran under the new president.