Moscow may gain key role in Iran nuclear deal as US talks progress

Source: Guardian

Russia could play a key role in a deal on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme, with Moscow being touted not only as a possible destination for Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, but also as a possible arbiter of deal breaches.

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Four hours of indirect talks between the US and Iran in Rome on Saturday, under the mediation of Oman, made significant progress, according to US officials. Further technical talks are due in Geneva this week, followed by another high-level diplomatic meeting next weekend in Oman.

Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who was at the heart of the Rome talks, wants an agreement wrapped up within 60 days, but is likely to face resistance from Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, who believes the levels of distrust and the technical nature of the talks make such a swift agreement unlikely.

The two most daunting issues are the storage or destruction of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and the external guarantees that can be provided to Iran if the US was to breach an agreement to lift economic sanctions in return for Iran putting its civil nuclear programme back under external supervision by the UN inspectorate, the IAEA. Iran wants a guarantee of consequences for the US if it pulls out of or breaches another deal.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/20/moscow-may-gain-key-role-in-iran-nuclear-deal-as-us-talks-progress