Russia says the West is sabotaging nuclear negotiations with Iran.

247 - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western powers of adopting strategies to weaken trust between Arab countries and Iran in negotiations over the Iranian nuclear program. (In an interview with the project...) Bridges to the EastIn a statement given last Wednesday (8), the Russian Foreign Minister said that the West is committed to obstructing any diplomatic progress involving Tehran.

According to information released by the HispanTV network, Lavrov highlighted that "many would like to maintain the caution of the Gulf countries regarding Iran. These are tricks of the West," he declared, stressing that there are interests in perpetuating distrust. He also recalled that "the British have always been known for their principle of divide and rule," adding that some Western partners "are still guided by colonial and neocolonial habits."

Iran maintains a negotiating stance despite sanctions.

The Russian Foreign Minister stressed that Tehran has shown a willingness to resume dialogue, even in the face of the reimposition of sanctions by the UN at the end of September. The measure was requested by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany—three of the signatories of the 2015 nuclear agreement. "Throughout these months, since January, when the West began to 'play' for the reintroduction of sanctions, even without a legal basis, Iran has consistently advocated negotiations, demonstrated flexibility and creativity in its approaches, and sought not to succumb to provocations," Lavrov stated.

According to the minister, the Western effort also seeks to undermine cooperation between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "Everything indicates that they are acting deliberately to provoke a larger conflict," he said. He believes the attempt to reimpose sanctions against Iran is "completely unfair" and accompanied by disproportionate demands, such as the unilateral disarmament of the Islamic Republic, including in peaceful programs.

International pressure and diplomatic impasse

At the end of August, European countries triggered the so-called recovery mechanism of Resolution 2231, which paves the way for the reinstatement of UN sanctions against Iran. The Security Council had 30 days to assess whether to maintain the lifting of restrictions, but last week rejected the extension, opening the possibility for sanctions to be resumed if there is no diplomatic progress.

The Iranian government, in turn, classified the measure as "null and void," claiming that the United Kingdom, France, and Germany failed to comply with their obligations under the nuclear agreement after the United States withdrew in 2018. Therefore, Tehran maintains that the Europeans have no legal legitimacy to reactivate the sanctions.

The impasse reflects once again the tensions surrounding the Iranian nuclear program and exposes the geopolitical dispute at a time of fragility in the international order.