Ukraine war at year 1: Iran’s drones to Russia derail nuclear diplomacy
Plus, the family of a US resident on death row in Iran speaks out, and a deadly Israeli raid on Nablus raises State Department concerns.
WASHINGTON — Days before Russia mounted its invasion of Ukraine, speculation was high that a deal to restore Iran’s nuclear agreement could be within reach.
“We are nearing the end,” Enrique Mora, the European Union coordinator for the nuclear talks, tweeted a year ago today. Russia’s envoy, Mikhail Ulyanov, said that negotiations to revive the landmark pact were “about to cross the finish line.”
As key issues went unresolved this year, Iran emerged as Russia’s main supplier of armed drones used to target Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Western officials say Tehran has provided Moscow with hundreds of its cheaply made unmanned aircraft for use in Ukraine, which also serves a testing ground for Iran's drone warfare in the Middle East.
The United States has responded with a slew of sanctions aimed at squeezing Iran’s drone production and transfer to Russia, which the Biden administration says may be contributing to “widespread war crimes” in Ukraine.
