The United States will focus on stopping Iranian weapons supplies to Russia and on supporting protesters in Iran, rather than on stalled talks to revive the international nuclear deal, US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley said in an interview reported by Bloomberg on December 3, 2022.
“Not interested in a deal”
“Iran is not interested in a deal and we’re focused on other things,” Malley said. He said the United States could “make a difference in trying to deter and disrupt the provision of weapons to Russia.”
Washington aims to “disrupt, delay, deter and sanction” Iranian arms deliveries to Moscow, he said, adding that providing missiles or helping Russia build military production facilities “would be crossing new lines.”
Drones in Ukraine
Russia has increasingly relied on Iranian-made drones to strike Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure as it depletes its own stockpiles. The Kremlin denies using Iranian equipment, and Tehran says it supplied only a small number of drones before the invasion.
Nuclear talks stalled
There have been no negotiations on reviving the nuclear deal since the end of August, although contacts between the EU and Iran continue. Iran has expanded uranium enrichment and restricted international monitoring, and was censured at the November board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for obstructing a probe into uranium traces at undeclared sites. Iran has also been gripped by nationwide protests since September.
Sources
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