Russia’s Halt to Nuclear Talks Leaves Iran in the Cold
The Ukraine war has driven a wedge between Moscow and Tehran that the U.S. could use to its advantage.
Taking a break.
Photographer: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images
Iran’s leaders thought the interruption of Russian oil and gas supplies would strengthen their hand at the negotiating table in Vienna, where the world powers have been discussing reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement. Instead, the Islamic Republic has found itself outmaneuvered by its supposed Russian allies, who on Friday halted the talks in a bid to block Iranian oil from returning to the market. The U.S. and its European partners can now press their advantage to get a better deal.
Soaring fuel prices, the regime in Tehran believed, would make President Joe Biden desperate for an accord that quickly lifted sanctions and brought Iranian supplies into the market. The reluctance of major producers like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to increase their output — their rulers refused even to take Biden’s phone calls — would only make the U.S. more anxious to accommodate Iranian demands, which include the complete lifting of all sanctions, even those unconnected to its nuclear activities.