Russia committed to maintain relations with Iran despite US sanctions

Russia on Sunday pledged to continue its bilateral relations with Iran, saying "no threat" of new sanctions by the US can stop their "legitimate and mutually beneficial cooperation". "We have been living under US anti-Russia sanctions since 2012. It is clear that over this period there has been a serious adaptation to this illegal trick by the United States," Tasmin News Agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying.

"No threat of new sanctions will stop our legitimate and mutually beneficial cooperation with Iran," he added. Ryabkov said Russia will expand its cooperation in the atomic energy sector.

Asserting that Moscow will not "succumb" to "blackmail" by Washington, "We will systematically expand and develop our cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran, including in the atomic energy sector in full compliance with international law and the national legislation of our countries, regardless of what US colleagues are undertaking, realizing, as they believe, their right to the extraterritorial application of their national legislation." On Friday, the US extended its waivers from 90 days to 180 days. This allows the continuation of work at several Iranian nuclear sites to continue with US penalties.

Additionally, the US also warned that assisting Iran in expanding its Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant could invite sanctions. "Iran must stop all proliferation-sensitive activities, including uranium enrichment, and we will not accept actions that support the continuation of such enrichment. We will also no longer permit the storage for Iran of heavy water it has produced in excess of current limits; any such heavy water must no longer be available to Iran in any fashion," US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.

However, the US did not renew two waivers. One that allowed Iran to store heavy water produced in the uranium enrichment process in Oman and the other that allows Iran to swap Enriched Uranium for raw yellowcake with Russia.

(With inputs from agencies.)