Iran nuclear talks on ‘pause’ in Vienna after Russian demand
- Diplomats offered no timetable for when discussions would resume, after Moscow sought relief from sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine
- One analyst described the demand as a ‘grenade’ that had been ‘thrown on the table’ by Russia in the middle of negotiations
Negotiations aimed at restoring Iran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers went on what its European hosts described as “a pause” on Friday, after Russia demanded relief from sanctions targeting Moscow over its war on Ukraine.
Diplomats offered no timetable for when the months-long talks in Vienna would resume. Negotiators even on Friday maintained that a road map was near for how the United States could rejoin the accord it unilaterally withdrew from in 2018, and for Iran to again limit its rapidly advancing nuclear programme.
While Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, referred only to “external factors” forcing the pausing, it appeared the Russian demand caused the disruption.
“The real issue for this pause here is what Russia has thrown on the table, which is essentially a grenade in the middle of the negotiations,” said Henry Rome, deputy head of research at the Eurasia Group who has been following the talks.
Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he wanted “guarantees at least at the level of the secretary of state” that the US sanctions would not affect Moscow’s relationship with Tehran. While American officials sought to describe the demand as not related to the Vienna talks, matters swiftly stalled Friday with a tweet from Borrell.