Moscow ready to mediate in Iran-US nuclear talks if asked, envoy says

Russia reiterated its readiness to help facilitate a nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States but said no formal request has been made by either side to engage in such a role.

“The Russian Federation has repeatedly stated its readiness to assist Iran and the United States in reaching an agreement on nuclear issues,” Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, said in an interview with Izvestia published on Thursday. “But for this to happen, both Tehran and Washington need to make such a request. So far, there has been no such request.”

Ulyanov said the situation surrounding Iran’s nuclear program is evolving rapidly and may warrant another round of official consultations between Russia, China, and Iran. He noted that while no date has been set for a high-level meeting, representatives of the three countries held a coordination session in Vienna on Thursday ahead of the IAEA Board of Governors meeting on June 9.