MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. Iran and the United States have reopened talks on a potential new nuclear-related agreement; European countries have deployed small military contingents to Greenland following stalled US-Danish talks; and Gazprom Neft is nearing the sale of its stake in Serbia’s NIS to Hungary’s MOL. These stories topped Friday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
The issue of negotiations between Iran and the United States has unexpectedly returned to the political agenda. Tehran has stated its readiness to guarantee the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. However, experts told Izvestia that the sides are being restrained not by diplomatic instruments, but by the high risks accompanying the conflict. Moreover, despite softening its rhetoric, the United States is reinforcing its strike capability, and Iran, for its part, is also maintaining its forces in a state of full combat readiness.
Experts interviewed by Izvestia note that the White House interprets the Iranian issue more broadly than the "nuclear file" alone, including, among other things, the need for domestic political changes in Iran. Furthermore, Donald Trump has always been a staunch opponent of the previous deal – the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which included Iran limiting its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
