China Backs Iran As Russia Gets Sanctions Loopholes in Emerging Iran Nuclear Deal – A new emerging nuclear deal between the United States and Iran may include carve-outs for Russia, granting the biggest state-run energy company in Russia a $10 billion contract to expand the Bushehr nuclear plant in Tehran.
Under the potentially soon-to-be-announced deal, concessions to Russia will allow the country to generate billions in income from Iran as the West continues its crippling financial and energy sanctions on the country.
According to Russian and Iranian documents translated for the Washington Free Beacon, Russia’s Rosatom energy company will provide the services for Iran’s atomic energy organization.
A State Department representative confirmed on Tuesday that the United States would not sanction any Russian participation in nuclear projects in Iran that were compliant with the new Iran deal.
“We, of course, would not sanction Russian participation in nuclear projects that are part of resuming full implementation of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action),” Ned Price said.
On Tuesday, a statement from the Russian foreign ministry also said that additions have been made to the upcoming revised JCPOA that will ensure Russian participation, including in the development of the Bushehr nuclear power plant.
Republican Senators Won’t Back the Deal
On Monday, 49 of 50 Republican United States senators said that they would not back the emerging deal, citing concerns about Russia’s involvement in the deal. Legislators issued a statement urging President Joe Biden to avoid agreeing to a deal that weakens the effect of sanctions placed on Russia in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
Legislators also said that they would not support the deal unless it completely blocks Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon.
The single Republican senator who did not sign the statement was the libertarian Republican senator for Kentucky, Rand Paul, who said that he could not condemn a deal that has not yet been formalized.
China Expresses Support for Iran On Nuclear Deal After Talks Were Paused
After negotiations between European and Iranian representatives in Vienna were paused last week following Russia’s push to include sanctions loopholes within the deal, the Chinese Communist Party pledged support for Iran.
A report from the Chinese state-run media outlet the South China Morning Post explained how Beijing had “pledged support for Tehran” and that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China will push for an early conclusion to the discussions.
“China always supports an early agreement on resuming compliance with the nuclear deal, and is open to and supportive of efforts to this end,” Wang said in a phone conversation with Iranian official Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and report on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
