VIENNA, Nov 26, Reuters - Russia chided the United States for threatening a diplomatic escalation with Iran at the UN nuclear watchdog next month unless it improves cooperation with the agency, saying it risked harming wider talks on the Iran nuclear deal.
The United States threatened to confront Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency if it doesn't give way to one of several conflicts with the IAEA, including its refusal to let the IAEA re-install cameras at a workshop after an apparent attack in June.
Russian ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov told a news conference with Chinese counterpart that we should control our emotions because we believe that our American counterparts lose patience, but I believe that all of us need to control our emotions.
I don't like this statement of the U.S. delegation at the IAEA. It's not helpful. After a five month break that started after the election that brought Iranian hardline President Ebrahim Raisi to power, indirect talks between the United States and Iran are due to resume on Monday.
The deal lifted sanctions against Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities. Then President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in 2018 and imposed sanctions against Tehran.
Iran lowered the time it would need to get enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb if it wanted to, by breaching many of the restrictions. Tehran denies it would ever seek atomic weapons.
The U.S. did not negotiate with the Iranians for a very long time and forgot that Iranians don't do anything under pressure. Ulyanov said that if they are under pressure, they resist, they will be referring to the fact that U.S. and Iranian envoys are not meeting directly.