Russia denies hosting top Iranian commander

Moscow has long opposed the plan, which it sees as a threat to its nuclear deterrence, and vowed to retaliate if it goes ahead.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said General Qassem Soleimani – the commander of foreign operations for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps – wasn’t in the Russian capital “last week”. Diplomatic momentum for a resolution reportedly gained traction earlier this month after a multilateral meeting in Doha, and Kirby said the matter continues to be discussed between Moscow, Washington and Riyadh. The deal, which would curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions, comes up for a vote in the U.S. Congress in September.

The latest spat threatens to further worsen a deep chill in ties between Moscow and Washington, now at their lowest point since the Cold War because of the conflict in Ukraine. He was apparently referring to NATO’s missile defense system in Europe, which is backed by the US.

Moscow says those comments mean that with the resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue, Washington should now walk away from the missile shield plan. The spokesman did not disclose Moscow’s response.

Under the July deal, United Nations sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missiles program will stay in place for eight years.

The US has insisted that the shield’s objective would be to defend against possible attacks from Iran, despite the considerable distance from that country.

“The US administration is making up artificial excuses to justify their decision – made under the influence of other motives – to continue the creation of a missile defense system in Europe and increase the pace of work,” Ryabkov said Friday at a press conference. He said Russian Federation had assured the United States that Soleimani had not visited Moscow and was surprised to hear the continuing expression of concern.

Ryabkov, who was Russia’s lead negotiator at the Iran talks, said the Americans interested in undermining the deal have “only political arguments and none based on substance”.