MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. Washington's demands risk disrupting a ceasefire with Iran; Switzerland stands ready to host the next round of Ukraine talks; and Kiev uses the Druzhba pipeline issue to blackmail the new Hungarian authorities. These stories topped Tuesday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Tensions in the Middle East are rising again as Tehran sees the recent seizure of its vessel by US forces as a ceasefire violation. Meanwhile, the ceasefire is about to expire. Experts interviewed by Izvestia point to fundamental disagreements that are hindering efforts to resolve the crisis, which primarily include the United States’ unwillingness to take into account Iran’s interests regarding its nuclear program and regional policy.
The current crisis around US-Iran talks is a systemic one and cannot be settled without addressing key underlying differences, international affairs expert Hadi Issa Dalloul believes.
Iraqi analyst Safaa al-Asam believes that Iran is not prepared to discuss Washington's proposals in the current situation because they suggest Tehran should make major concessions in terms of national security and sovereignty.
The situation in the Middle East is heading towards another round of violence, Vladimir Sazhin, senior researcher with the Center for Middle and Near East Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Oriental Studies, told Vedomosti. In his opinion, the Iranian leadership is confident that US President Donald Trump’s attempts to impose talks on Tehran are aimed at buying time before launching more strikes.
