Russia not an impartial broker in US-Iran talks, ex-Moscow envoy says

While the deputy chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security committee appears to be adamant that Russia will consider Iran's interests in its negotiations with America, the committee's former chairman has once again expressed concern that "Russia might sacrifice Iran for its own interests."

The remarks of Abbas Moghtadaei, deputy chairman of the Majles national security committee, suggested that Iran's interests factor into Russia’s calculations. "In its negotiations with the United States, Russia also considers Iran's interests," he said.

He argued that Russia would take Iran’s interests into account, citing the recently signed strategic cooperation agreement between the two countries and asserting that Moscow will "consider its ally's interests in its foreign relations." However, Russia has repeatedly stated in the past that Iran is not a strategic ally.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other officials have repeatedly referred to Iran as a partner, distinguishing their relationship from Russia’s formal alliances, such as with China or members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). In August 2022, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the strength of Russia-Iran relations but stopped short of calling Iran a strategic ally.

The hardline Raja News, the pro-reform Fararu website, and the pro-Pezeshkian Etemad newspaper have also rejected the notion of Iran being a strategic ally of Russia. However, Moscow is still likely to back Tehran when it serves its interests, using Iran as regional and international leverage in its dealings with the West.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Etemad, Heshamatollah Falahatpisheh, former chief of the Iranian Parliament's national security and foreign relations committee, stated, "The revival of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers was sacrificed for Russia's war in Ukraine. I fear Iran may now be sacrificed for Russia’s peace with Ukraine."

He was referring to the West’s reluctance to negotiate with Iran following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which led to the suspension of nuclear talks in March 2022. Since then, Tehran has supported Russia’s war effort, supplying weapons used against Ukraine.

Asked about the likelihood of Iran's interests being compromised in talks between Moscow and Washington, Falahatpisheh said, "Political developments since 2021 have shown that international variables directly affect Iran's nuclear diplomacy and its position in global affairs."

He recalled that three years ago, when Iran and the West were close to reaching a nuclear deal, Russia formally urged the United States to exempt Iran-Russia trade from US sanctions on both countries. However, Washington rejected the request, viewing it as an attempt by Moscow to exploit the nuclear negotiations for its own benefit.

The politician accused Russia of deceiving Iran and obstructing the revival of the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal at the time. Expressing concern over Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent visit to Iran, he warned, "Once again, the Russians might use Iran as leverage in their dealings with Washington."

Meanwhile, Iranian foreign policy analyst Qasem Mohebali told the conservative Nameh News website that "Russia's mediation between Iran and the United States is unlikely to benefit Iran."

"It appears that the Americans have promised certain concessions to Russia regarding the Ukraine war, and in return, Russia has agreed to offer some concessions to Washington concerning Iran," Mohebali said.

However, he argued that this arrangement is not in Iran’s best interest, as "Russia is likely to use Iran as a bargaining chip in its negotiations with the United States over Ukraine." He also questioned the effectiveness of mediation by a country that is itself engaged in negotiations to resolve its own challenges.

"Iran is in an ambiguous international position," Mohebali concluded. "However, the disputes between Europe and the Arab states on one side and the United States on the other, along with the divide between Russia and America, provide Iran with an opportunity to extract some concessions. Still, Moscow's mediation is unlikely to serve Tehran’s interests."

His remarks come as Ramadan coincides with Nowruz this year, a point he highlighted while stressing that celebrations must adhere to religious principles.

"These kinds of celebrations do not align with our Muslim culture, and we cannot act against revolutionary and religious values and principles," Hosseini said Thursday.

At the same time, he indicated that some form of commemoration might still be possible without elaborating on specific details: "Programs have been planned for consultation with media and community leaders to ensure Nowruz celebrations take place according to law, regulations, and religious and revolutionary principles."

While Nowruz is not officially banned, its pre-Islamic roots have long been a point of contention among religious hardliners, who dominate key centers of power. These groups often discourage traditional Persian festivals, viewing them as remnants of the past that glorify pre-Islamic Persian history.

In previous years, authorities have attempted to limit gatherings at historically significant sites such as Persepolis and the tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae, sometimes leading to clashes with participants. Similarly, Charshanbeh Souri, the fire-jumping festival held before the New Year, has often faced restrictions.

With Ramadan coinciding with Nowruz this year, officials have placed greater emphasis on religious observance, stressing that celebrations must align with “Islamic values.” However, what this means in practice remains unclear, as authorities continue to tighten control over cultural expressions they deem incompatible with their ideological framework.

Nowruz, the Persian New Year, is based on the solar calendar, which follows the spring equinox and remains fixed in relation to the seasons. In contrast, Ramadan follows the lunar Islamic calendar, which shifts about 10–11 days each year in relation to the solar calendar.

Because of this difference, Ramadan and Nowruz only occasionally coincide.

Last year, Iran’s Supreme Leader chose not to deliver his customary Nowruz speech in Mashhad, citing the overlap with Ramadan.

Asked whether Washington would renew a waiver allowing Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, Bruce told reporters, "We are reviewing all existing sanctions waivers that provide Iran any degree of economic or financial relief."

A decision on whether to renew the waiver on the funds, which by November totaled $10 billion, is due on March 8.

"We are urging the Iraqi government to eliminate its dependence on Iranian sources of energy as soon as possible and welcome the Iraqi Prime Minister's commitment to achieve energy independence."

A decision to renew the waiver in the waning days of the Joe Biden administration stoked the ire of Republicans who criticized the Donald Trump's predecessor for allegedly being too soft on Tehran.

Trump reimposed his "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions aimed at depriving Iran of revenue as he seeks to cajole Iran into guaranteeing it will not acquire a nuclear weapon. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.

The funds were mandated for use on humanitarian needs such as medicines, according to the Biden State Department instructions.

However, its Republican detractors maintain that the money is fungible, allowing Tehran to divert its dwindling cash reserves to its military or regional allies such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi fighters in Yemen.

During the previous Trump administration the waiver was in force but access to the funds was stricter, his supporters have argued.

"Making Iran broke again will mark the beginning of our updated sanctions policy," Bessent told members of the Economic Club of New York, highlighting the impact of US sanctions on the nation's currency.

The Iranian rial has lost half of its value in less than six months, partly because of Tehran's regional setbacks and partly due to harsh sanctions rolled out under Trump.

The President has begun an "aggressive campaign to rebalance the international economic system," Bessent added.

The so-called maximum pressure policy on Iran was introduced in Trump's first administration and renewed immediately after he returned to the White House in January.

The policy involves more sanctions and stricter enforcement on Iran's oil exports.

The Trump administration is considering a plan to inspect Iranian oil tankers under an international accord designed to curb the spread of weapons of mass destruction, Reuters reported earlier on Thursday.

The administration is exploring ways for allied countries to stop and inspect vessels in key maritime chokepoints, including the Malacca Strait in Asia, according to the agency citing six sources familiar with the matter.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, addressing parliament on Sunday, acknowledged Trump’s latest sanctions, saying Iran’s tankers now face uncertainty in unloading their cargo.

Iran's oil exports have fluctuated dramatically in recent years, depending largely on Washington's will to enforce sanctions and Tehran's ability to find new ways to get its oil to its main customer, China.

In 2017, before US sanctions were imposed, Iran exported 2.5 million barrels per day. By 2020, this figure had plummeted to around 350,000 bpd.

As Joe Biden took office in 2021, Iran’s oil exports rebounded, peaking at nearly 1.9 million bpd in the summer of 2024. After President Biden administration’s imposed sanctions on dozens of tankers involved in smuggling Iranian oil, exports dropped by 500,000 bpd in the final quarter of 2024.

"This is a brand new arrangement ... we were not confronted with this four years ago," Keith Kellogg told the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington DC. "This is not just a European problem. This is a global problem."

"Four years ago," he added, "the North Koreans were over here. The Iranians were over here. The Russians, you know, were over here, working, working (the Ukraine) issue, and then the Chinese were over here. Well, now they're all together," he said.

Russia suggested to the United States that the two powers should hold talks focused on Iran's nuclear program, a Kremlin spokesman said on Wednesday, in yet another sign of converging outlooks on global affairs by Washington and Moscow.

Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that Russia has agreed to assist Washington in communicating with Iran on various issues, including its support for regional groups hostile to the US.

Trump's overtures to Russia have upended international relations in recent weeks and the potential role for Moscow in addressing Tehran disputed nuclear program links the issues more closely.

Iran has provided Russia with hundreds of drones for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine as the two powers heavily sanctioned by the United States have drawn closer.

The potential realignment of Russia and the United States in opposition to Iran's nuclear program might deprive Iran of a key ally - a possibility President Masoud Pezeshkian appeared to acknowledge on Thursday.

"If Russia, the United States, or any other country wants to take action, when our hope is in God and our reliance is on our own beliefs, we will find a way," Pezeshkian said according to a readout of his speech published on the president’s website.

"Today, someone may rebuke us, someone may not cooperate with us, or we may run into conflicts with each other. If we rely on anyone other than God, we will face problems," he added.

Kellogg said Washington's Eurasian adversaries had been disunited previously, adding, "(Trump) kept them all segmented,"

"It's sort of like the game of Whac-A-Mole, that every time a mole would come up, you whack it down. Well, all the moles came up, and now we've got to figure out, okay, how do we do this?"