Diako Hosseini told Iranian media that if the IAEA moves, as reported, to adopt the anti-Iran resolution during a meeting of its board of governors on Monday, new tensions could possibly break out between Iran and the West.
The reported resolution has been described by observers as a sign that the talks on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, which the US abandoned in 2018, have hit an impasse.
Hosseini said such a new wave of tensions could provide Russia with a “breathing space” from widespread Western criticism of its war on Ukraine and help Moscow get rid of all the pressure it is facing at least for a short period of time.
The Russians, he said, may seek to take advantage of potential Iran-West tensions as “leverage” in their negotiations with the Westerners.
He said the Russians do not benefit from a “war” between Iran and the West or long-term tensions between them, but at the same time, they do not favor fully “normal” and friendly ties between the two sides.
