IAEA chief in Tehran as Iran FM returns to Russia with Khamenei letter
A flurry of meetings are taking place in Iran, Russia and the US ahead of the second round of nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran on Saturday.
The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog arrived in Tehran on Wednesday, a day before Iran’s foreign minister is set to visit Moscow, where he will deliver a letter from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Araghchi will head to Russia on Thursday to meet with officials including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, will update the Russians on the US-Iran talks. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Araghchi stated, "The aim of the Moscow trip is to convey and present the written message of the supreme leader to the Russian leader." Araghchi did not comment on the contents of the letter.
Russia is a close partner of Iran and has said Iran has the right to a peaceful nuclear energy program. Earlier on Wednesday, Russia’s upper parliamentary body ratified a 20-year deal with Iran that Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed in mid-January. The agreement outlines joint projects in the nuclear energy sector, strengthening the nations' military cooperation and counterterrorism initiatives and expanding exchanges in defense technology.
Araghchi was in Moscow last week for a second round of trilateral discussions with Russia and China over the Iranian nuclear program after previous talks in Beijing on March 14.
