Putin Met Iran FM Ahead of Tehran
(Bloomberg) — Russian President Vladimir Putin Met Iran FM top diplomat ahead of a second round of talks between the US and the Islamic Republic aimed at resolving the standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Putin received Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Moscow, the Kremlin said in a statement on Thursday.
After a first meeting in Oman last Saturday that both described as constructive, the US and Iran are due to hold fresh talks in Rome on April 19. US President Donald Trump is trying to secure a deal that guarantees Iran won’t develop nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief. He’s warned of military action against Iran in coordination with Israel if diplomacy fails.
The talks hit what may be their first stumbling block after Iran accused Trump’s envoy leading the US delegation, Steve Witkoff, of sending mixed signals about Washington’s goals. Witkoff demanded Iran stop its enrichment program after earlier saying it shouldn’t be allowed to enrich beyond a purity of 3.67%, a concentration suitable for power reactors but far below the level needed for bombs.
Iran’s right to enrich uranium is not negotiable, Araghchi said in response, adding that it was necessary to hear the US views in the negotiation sessions. “If they continue to present conflicting and contradictory positions, things will be difficult,” he told state TV.
Trump asked Putin to assist in communicating with Iran on its nuclear program in a February call, Bloomberg reported last month. Araghchi, who plans to deliver a letter to the Russian president from Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will consult with Moscow on the talks with the US, the foreign ministry in Tehran said.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met separately with Putin on Moscow on Thursday. The Qatari ruler held talks with Khamenei in February in Tehran, and his energy-rich Gulf state has offered to mediate in the Iranian negotiations with the US.
Russia and Iran have built deepening trade and defense ties since Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022. Tehran is supplying drones to Moscow, which it’s used in the war with its ex-Soviet neighbor.
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