Ulyanov comments on Russia's role in Vienna talks

Russia's Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based International Organizations Mikhail Ulyanov said in a tweet on Wednesday, "JCPOA opponents both in US and Iran in unison (which is very touching) spread misinformation by claiming that Russia dominated Vienna Talks. This is flattering but nonsense."

"I’d like to see how anyone could dominate negotiations with the participation of Iran and the US," he added.

Western media are trying to show that Russia's demands on the US that its sanctions not affect its relations with Tehran are to blame for the slow pace of the Vienna talks between Iran and the P4+1 on the removal of sanctions.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said a few days ago on Friday that Russia demands a written guarantee from the US that its cooperation with Iran won’t be affected by sanctions imposed after the operation in Ukraine started.

Some interpreted the Russian requested guarantees from the US as Moscow's attempt to hinder the progress of the Vienna talks while some other media and analysts interpreted the demanded guarantees as Russia's seriousness in the Vienna talks and a guarantee that Iran would benefit from a possible agreement.

The Russian ambassador to Tehran Levan Dzhagaryan said on Monday that there has been "a misunderstanding" on his country's foreign minister's remarks on the need for the US to give Moscow written guarantees on its relations with Tehran.

Moreover, the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told a meeting with the lawmakers on Monday that "We will not allow any external factor to affect our national interests in the Vienna talks."

Meanwhile, top Iranian security official the SNSC secretary Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani said in this regard that "The only factor influencing our interaction with the P4 + 1 countries is securing the long-term interests of the Iranian people."

Iran has insisted whenever Washington meets Iran's demands in the talks, an agreement is within reach while the US has yet to decide to remove the anti-Iran sanctions as the eighth round of the talks drags on.

MP