US asks Iran not to sell Russia UAVs to advance de-escalation talks
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The Financial Times reports that Americans brought up the issue in the past months during indirect negotiations with Iran in Qatar and Oman.
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Iranian released pictures showing Kaman-12 drones parked in an underground base in May 2022 (Iranian Defense Ministry)
Washington asked Iran to stop its alleged drone sales to Russia as talks continue between the United States and Tehran to reach a "broader unwritten understanding" on the prisoner swap announced last week, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday citing sources.
What happened: The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States reached a prisoner exchange agreement last week, after months of quiet negotiations mediated by Oman and Qatar.
Five individuals carrying dual US-Iranian citizenship imprisoned in Iran on charges of spying for foreign "hostile states" would be released under the deal.
It also constitutes that the US would unfreeze $6 billion of Iranian oil sales revenue currently unlawfully jailed in South Korea, and Iran's sovereign capital would be then transferred to Qatar's central bank, where Tehran would be able to access its cash without the ability to withdraw them.
Driving the event- The United States wants to de-escalate the situation with Iran in hopes of reviving the nuclear agreement that it unilaterally abandoned during former President Donald Trump's term.
Trump also launched the illegal "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, which involved a large set of inhumane sanctions targeting the country's access to basic needs.
But Tehran was able to an unexpected extent, in cooperation with partners sharing the same anti-hegemonic views, to bypass most Western embargos and blockades and continue to develop its economy and defense capabilities, especially its drone production, which today is ranked amongst the top worldwide.
This pushed many senior US officials to recommend a change of approach with Tehran, as it was obvious that extreme sanctions proved to be much less effective than anticipated.
Read more: Iran emerged as global leader in drone production: US officials
What to consider- Tehran and Moscow both repeatedly denied Western claims that Iran is providing Russia with armed drones or offering any type of military assistance to be used in the Ukraine war.
The Islamic Republic has also continuously requested to meet with Ukraine experts, asking that they provide valid proof regarding these accusations.
After the first meeting was canceled due to US pressure on Kiev, army personnel from both Iran and Ukraine met in November 2022, but the Ukrainian side failed to present concrete evidence to back its claims.
Another angle- After Ukraine's counteroffensive failed to achieve its declared objectives, the administration of US President Joe Biden, Kiev's biggest sponsor, has been under growing internal public and political pressure to justify its massive spending that failed to yield promised outcomes.
Major American media outlets, just recently relentless advocates of arming Ukraine, have joined parties voicing concerns about the ground situation and began releasing reports suggesting a darkened picture of the war outcome.
This has pushed Biden, who is looking for a reelection, to go on a control damage mission in attempt to balance out the heat.
Read more: Why Ukraine's failure cannot be blamed on lack of air power: Telegraph
A deeper look- After provoking confrontations and tensions in different parts of the world, the United States has found itself having to engage in multiple heated regions simultaneously.
Washington's involvement in Ukraine has had its severe downside on the state of US readiness to engage in any future conflicts.
Apart from the huge spending, Pentagon found itself for long months resorting directly to US Army warehouses to be able to keep up with Kiev's unsustainable demand for weapons and munitions. This resulted in the depletion of many US arms stocks with the inability to replenish in the near term due to production caps.
Fears are rising in Washington about overstretching US military and political power across different fronts, which risks leaving the American army vulnerable to any unplanned security event, particularly with China - the main strategic threat according to the United States.
What to keep an eye on- As proven by the US history of abiding by commitments it signed, most recently in the 2015 nuclear deal JCPOA, any agreement between Washington and Iran does not mean that relations between the two countries are expected to improve.
Ongoing efforts will only take the structural conflict, but relations will remain fragile and exposed to a sudden fracture at any given moment.
This can be best observed in the Strait of Hormuz, where military tensions between Tehran and Washington rose after the US Department of Defense announced earlier that it will be deploying hundreds of forces and warships near Iran's territorial waters, alleging that the Islamic Republic is "endangering" the trade route.
It is unknown what direct friction between the militaries of the two countries would lead to, but it will not remain confined to one area or region.
Read more: Increase of US forces in Gulf sign of growing US-Iran tensions
