Blinken says Ukraine sanctions on Russia not linked with Iran nuclear talks

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he boards an aircraft prior to his departure from Chisinau, Moldova, March 6, 2022. Olivier Douliery/Pool via REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The sanctions imposed on Russia over its Ukraine invasion have nothing to do with a potential nuclear deal with Iran, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday, after Russia's demand a day before on written guarantees from Washington that its punitive measures won't harm cooperation on Iran.

In an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation" show, Blinken said a potential nuclear deal with Iran was still close, but cautioned that "a couple of very challenging remaining issues" were still unresolved.