MOSCOW, April 15. /TASS/. Preparations continue for the next round of Iran-US talks; the Middle East crisis drives Russian oil prices high; and Hezbollah responds negatively to direct dialogue between Lebanon and Israel. These stories topped Wednesday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
The second round of Iran-US talks may take place in the near future, Vedomosti writes, citing Western media outlets.
The only real goal Iran has in negotiations with the United States is to find the shortest possible way out of the crisis, said Galina Tsaregorodtseva, head of the Department for Foreign Policy Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute for US and Canadian Studies. Other issues may be brought back to the agenda only after the parties reach a genuine ceasefire agreement. However, the situation is unlikely to be resolved at the current stage, the political scientist pointed out. "First, the Islamic Republic has so far no plans to back down in hopes of obtaining some official guarantees. Second, Israel will continue active efforts to drag the US into the conflict. Third, the United States is not ready to sign any documents formalizing its promises or guarantees," she explained.
