ALWAGHT- Russia cautioned that efforts to expand negotiations with Iran beyond the nuclear issue would make talks “unrealistic,” echoing Tehran’s position that its missile and defense capabilities are non-negotiable.
Russia’s envoy to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, reiterated that negotiations with Iran should remain strictly limited to nuclear issues, warning that expanding talks to missiles or regional security would make them unrealistic. He cited remarks by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, who said Iran’s defense capabilities are purely deterrent and non-negotiable.
Baghaei emphasized that Iran’s missile program is designed to protect national integrity and deter aggression. He criticized what he described as double standards that portray Iran’s missiles as a threat while advanced and banned weapons are supplied to Israel for its war in Gaza.
In a separate statement, Ulyanov rejected claims by former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo that Iran is seeking to revive its nuclear program, stressing that Iran has the right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to pursue a peaceful nuclear program. Pompeo had urged Washington to maintain pressure on Tehran, despite Iran’s repeated assertions that its nuclear activities are civilian.
Iranian officials have linked progress in negotiations to US recognition of Iran’s nuclear rights and the lifting of sanctions. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is open to limits on enrichment if its peaceful program is acknowledged, but warned that recent US and Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and Washington’s stance have undermined prospects for serious talks.
