Russia, Iran discuss nuclear programme ahead of European talks

MOSCOW (AFP): The Iranian and Russian presidents discussed Tehran’s nuclear programme on Monday as European powers threaten to reimpose sanctions on Tehran over the moribund 2015 deal.

Britain, France and Germany have threatened to trigger a “snapback mechanism” to reintroduce UN sanctions that were lifted under the agreement unless Iran agrees to curb its uranium enrichment and restore cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) inspectors.

Iran will hold talks with the European trio in Geneva on Tuesday, Iranian state media reported.Russia’s Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, the Kremlin said Monday, in which the pair “touched on the situation around Iran’s nuclear programme”.

It did not elaborate on what the pair discussed.

The Iranian presidency said Pezeshkian had thanked Putin for supporting Tehran’s “right to enrichment” and said Iran was “not seeking, and will never seek to build nuclear weapons”.

The two countries have bolstered political, military and economic ties during Russia’s military offensive on Ukraine.

Iran has regularly sought to coordinate its position with both Russia and China before key nuclear talks with the United States and Europe during the current stand-off.

Russia’s Kommersant business paper reported Monday that Moscow opposed the idea of “snapback” sanctions.

“The threats by Britain, Germany and France to activate the mechanism for reintroducing previously suspended UN sanctions against Iran are a serious destabilising factor,” the paper cited the foreign ministry as telling it in a statement.

Russia is a party to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, which provided Iran with sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.

Tehran disputes the legality of invoking the treaty’s snapback clause, accusing the Europeans of not honouring their own commitments under the accord.

Iran suspended cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog following a 12-day war with Israel earlier this year, with Tehran pointing to the IAEA’s failure to condemn Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities.