Russian Foreign Minister Blames US for Iran Nuclear Deal's Failure
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized the United States for its excessive demands that led to the collapse of the nuclear deal.
He stated that instead of fully reviving the resolution and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the US has been negotiating for additional concessions from Tehran.
According to TASS, Lavrov made the remarks on Thursday, expressing doubt about the possibility of reaching any additional agreements to revive the JCPOA under the current circumstances, given the upcoming US presidential election in 2024.
Lavrov noted the uncertainty surrounding the future administration, whether it be Democratic or Republican, and raised concerns about the potential for another withdrawal from the agreement. He emphasized that the US played a key role in undermining the JCPOA, failing to fulfill its obligations under the UN Charter.
"I doubt it would be very realistic to expect this (revival of the JCPOA), with a new administration [potentially] coming to power in the United States in a year’s time," he said. "Who knows whether that administration will be Democratic or Republican. And nobody can guarantee that this new administration would refrain from using the trick of withdrawing from the agreement again," he added.
The Russian Foreign Minister highlighted informal consultations between Iranian and US officials aimed at restoring dialogue by unblocking frozen Iranian assets abroad. While expressing hope for normalized relations, Lavrov clarified that these efforts were separate from the JCPOA itself.
The nuclear deal, reached in 2015 between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, aimed to address the crisis over Iran's nuclear program. However, former President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the agreement in 2018. Current President Joe Biden has expressed his willingness to rejoin the JCPOA, but so far has failed to do so.
Since April 2021, Iran has been engaged in talks with Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, the US, and France in Vienna, seeking to restore the JCPOA in its original form. However, the latest round of talks concluded without specific results, as confirmed by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi in November 2022.