Nournews: Finally, a week after Donald Trump had announced that he had sent a letter to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the letter was delivered to Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday by Anwar Mohammed Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to the president of the UAE.

This is while Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia, had announced two days ago that evidence shows the U.S. has raised demands beyond Iran’s nuclear issue in the letter. He emphasized:

“What is concerning is that some evidence shows Americans want the new agreement to be accompanied by political conditions, and they insist that there must be a mechanism through which Iran’s lack of support for groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and elsewhere can be measured. I do not think this can lead anywhere.”

Lavrov clarified that: “We are in favor of the resumption of a framework that the initial agreement approved by the United Nations Security Council can be developed through. We will see how this will progress.”

Just like the remarks that Ulyanov, Russia’s representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency, had made, Lavrov said: “These demands are not realistic and will yield no result.”

Key questions about the letter:
The extension of sending the letter on one hand, and Lavrov’s remarks on the other hand, have caused some important questions to be raised, the answers to which can help explain the current situation.
What is the content of the letter and what issues does it involve?

How was Russia aware of the content of the letter before it was delivered to Iran?
What are the reasons for the one-week delay in delivering the letter, and why was nothing explained about the reasons for the delay in delivering the letter to Iran after Trump’s announcement until the day Gargash brought it to Iran?

Why wasn’t the letter delivered to Iran through traditional channels from the U.S. to Iran, or even through Russia, which was supposed to act as a mediator after a week of delay? Why was the mission assigned to the UAE at the level of an advisor to the president, which could reflect the insignificance of the message?

Role of Russia in the process of sending the letter
According to Lavrov’s past remarks, the U.S. had asked Russia to examine acting as a mediator between Tehran and Washington. Meanwhile, Russia had announced that it was hopeful and ready to solve Iran’s nuclear issue through the route of diplomacy.

Why did Russia refuse to send the letter?
Based on this, it seems logical to think that the U.S. may have initially asked Russia to deliver the letter to Iran. However, considering the close relations between Moscow and Iran, and Russia’s better understanding of Iran’s stance, the Kremlin may have seen the letter as a factor that could complicate the situation, so it may have refused to deliver it. Because of this, the U.S. was forced to select another channel to send the letter and faced challenges in this regard.

Iran-U.S. future of negotiations
Under the condition that the U.S. pursues a separate channel to negotiate with Iran, the other parties of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), namely the European countries, China, and Russia, are moving along the path of multilateral dialogue. Iran has had several rounds of negotiations with representatives of the EU and the three European countries: Britain, Germany, and France, and it has been announced that the talks will continue.

In addition, trilateral negotiations between Iran, China, and Russia are expected to begin on March 13 in Beijing. These developments show that all main parties involved in the JCPOA – except for the U.S. – have entered a new phase of consultations. Because of this, it can be said that under the current conditions, Washington is faced with two different paths: It may either accompany the framework of the 2025 agreement or continue the policy of maximum pressure and risk increasing tensions.