Biden rejects Russia in favor of Iran, Venezuela
As it continues to isolate Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration has welcomed two new bedfellows: Iran and Venezuela, both Russian allies.
U.S. State Department officials traveled to Venezuela yesterday to engage in talks with the Maduro regime, ostensibly to persuade the oil-rich country to break off ties with Russia and act as an alternative energy supplier to the U.S.
The Maduro regime, under authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro, was placed under U.S. sanctions in 2019 due to seizing power through fraudulent elections.
Perhaps more concerning, however, is the Biden administration’s courtship with Iran, another country under U.S. sanctions.
The administration revealed last week that it is considering buying oil from the world’s largest state sponsor of terror. On Friday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the government is “close” when asked about welcoming Iranian oil. The day before, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told MSNBC that “all options are on the table” as far as buying Iranian oil.
The Biden administration is, at the same time, engaging in talks with Iran to pause its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.
However, it is unclear how serious the Biden administration is about these talks, because they appear to be going strongly in Iran’s favor.
According to Mikhail Ulyanov, the lead Russian negotiator for the Iran nuclear talks, the Islamic country is walking away with even more than it expected.
“Iranian clerics are fighting for Iranian nuclear – national interests like lions,” Ulyanov said in an interview. “They fight for every comma, every word, and as a rule, quite successfully.”
The reporter asked Ulyanov if the deal being pursued by the Biden administration could be good for Iran.
“I am absolutely sincere in this regard when I say Iran got much more than it could expect,” answered Ulyanov. “Much more. Realistically speaking, Iran got more than frankly I expected, others expected. This is a matter of fact.”
The negotiator also revealed that Iran was assisted in the negotiations by China.
Former Acting Director of U.S. National Intelligence Richard Grenell weighed in on this troubling development.
“The Biden team has been out-negotiated on Iran,” Grenell tweeted. “Listen to the Russian negotiator. If you think Ukraine is a crisis….wake up.”
