Months of talks with Iran to resurrect the 2015 nuclear deal reached a halt on Friday when Russia asked that sanctions imposed on Moscow for its conflict in Ukraine be removed from any future negotiations with Tehran, Fox News informed.
According to a source familiar with the discussions, the Russian team disrupted last-minute negotiations by seeking sanctions immunity for any future deals with Iran.
After the United States abandoned the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under former President Trump in 2018, President Biden made it a key goal of his administration to bring it back.
Members of the JCPOA, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the European Union, have warned against the action and encouraged Iran to stick to its obligations to the agreement.
However, by 2019, Tehran claimed that the accord was moot owing to heavy US sanctions and began redeveloping its nuclear program.
JCPOA members backed the administration’s push to re-establish the nuclear deal last year, including big US foes like China and Russia.
However, progress on the nuclear issue with Iran has been glacial, and White House officials have frequently cautioned Iranian counterparts that time is running out to find a solution.
In March 2020, the US declared that it will negotiate with Iran through indirect discussions, but by June, the efforts had been stymied by the election of anti-Western President Ebrahim Raisi.
The talks were finally restarted, but there were frequent pauses in the months-long discussions due to concerns over good faith negotiations.
The White House stated last week that a deal was “near” to being completed.
However, Washington and its allies face additional challenges as relations with Moscow deteriorate due to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s battle in Ukraine with the West.
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