Will US sanctions disrupt Iran-Russia economic ties?
Washington’s concerns about Russian actions, including its relations with Iran, and Moscow’s diminishing interest in accommodating them seem set to heighten competition and tensions in the Middle East.
Following recent comments by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and a meeting between Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, signs are emerging that Russia and the United States could be headed for a collision over Moscow’s economic relationship with Iran in the post-nuclear agreement era.
Lavrov was characteristically optimistic about Russia’s relations with Iran following his Aug. 17 meeting with Zarif in Moscow, citing “positive momentum” and announcing a planned meeting of the Permanent Russian-Iranian Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation, probably in October. In welcoming Zarif in front of reporters prior to their discussions, he had been even more upbeat, referring to an “opportunity to take Russian-Iranian relations to a new level.”
