Syria and Nuclear Program: Key Topics of Zarif's Talks in Moscow

According to Reuters, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, will meet with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Monday, August 26, to discuss Iran's nuclear program and Iran's peace plan for Syria. The news agency reported that the Vienna nuclear agreement and the lifting of sanctions against Iran will pave the way for new contracts for nuclear energy facilities between the two countries and also for the sale of Russian missile defense systems to Iran. Tehran and Moscow signed a contract on November 10, 2014, for the construction of two new nuclear reactors by Russia in Iran and agreed to increase the number of Russian-built reactors in Iran to eight power plants. Zarif's trip to Russia comes just days after controversies surrounding the visit of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to the country. Reuters previously reported, citing an anonymous Iranian official, that Soleimani negotiated with Russian officials in Moscow regarding regional issues, the export of S-300 missiles, and other weapons to Iran. Dmitry Medvedev, the former President of Russia, had previously blocked the delivery of S-300 to Iran due to international sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program, but Vladimir Putin, the current President of Russia, lifted this order following preliminary agreements between Iran and global powers regarding the nuclear program and the increasing tensions between Russia and the West. However, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported on July 1, citing sources in the Kremlin, that Moscow might provide the Antey-2500 missile defense system to Iran instead of the S-300 after Tehran withdrew a complaint it had filed in international court regarding this issue. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that discussions on regional issues, including recent developments in Syria, would also be among the topics of discussion between the two foreign ministers. Zarif's trip to Russia follows his recent visits to regional countries and a meeting with Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria. Previously, Marzieh Afkham, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated that Zarif would explain a 'new plan' to assist in resolving the Syrian issue and the dimensions and effects of the nuclear negotiations in his meetings with officials from other countries. Iranian officials had previously emphasized that they would keep the new plan away from public opinion until it yielded results. A week before Zarif's trip to Russia, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, clearly rejected the possibility of considering Bashar al-Assad's presence in the future of Syria during his visit to Russia.