The nuclear deal has not brought Iran closer to the West.

Iranian Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanai

Sputnik reported on August 5th that, on the LiveJournal blog, Iran's ambassador to Russia, Mehdi Sanai, asserted that the nuclear agreement between Tehran and the P5+1 group (comprising the UK, France, the US, Russia, China, and Germany) would not distance Iran from Russia and bring it closer to the West.

Sanai said: "The view that this agreement will lead to Iran distancing itself from Russia and moving closer to the West is very unrealistic. Iran's and the US's political approaches to regional and global issues are not the same and in many cases contradict each other."

Ambassador Sanai emphasized that Iran has no intention of negotiating with the US on bilateral, regional, or global issues, and that dialogue should only be conducted in the area of ​​its nuclear program.

Meanwhile, Tehran and Moscow share significant common interests on many regional issues, including in Central Asia and the Caucasus, the Caspian Sea, Afghanistan, and the Middle East; they are consistent on issues related to changing the world order, unilateral US policy, and Western interference in the internal affairs of other countries; the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and missile defense systems.

Mr. Sanai also affirmed that deepening and expanding relations with Russia, China, and India is one of the top priorities in the Iranian government's foreign policy.