Russia Upends Talks to Revive Iran Nuclear Deal

After almost one year of intense negotiations in Vienna, Russia has temporarily scuttled the revived nuclear deal with Iran. Barbara Slavin, Director of Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council, and Andrea Stricker, resident fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, spar over the merits and drawbacks of the revived deal, originally brokered by the Obama administration in 2015, from which the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew in 2018. Drawing the ire of the United States and Iran, Russia has made what are seen as unacceptable last-minute demands, which have impeded the finalization of the deal meant to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief