Russia’s future in Iran looks brighter as Europe, US fade
Moscow hopes its efforts to help Iran work around US sanctions will pay off in trade, finance and politics.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled out nuclear negotiations with the United States, and on Sept. 26 apparently wrote off Europe as well.
That leaves Moscow in the driver's seat as it works with Tehran to develop a system that benefits them both by evading US sanctions.
Khamenei has lost patience with Europe. French President Emanuel Macron has so far failed to make good on an initiative to provide a $15 billion international line of credit via the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) system. Macron also was unable to persuade Iranian and US leaders to meet last week at the UN General Assembly session in New York.
US President Donald Trump has continued to levy new sanctions on Iran’s central bank.
