Russian diplomat: High time for Iran, US to restore full JCPOA implementation

Russia's Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov says the current juncture is a good time for the US and Iran to coordinate their steps toward full implementation of the 2015 landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

In a tweet on Thursday, Ulyanov referred to the latest reports that the administration of US President Joe Biden has dodged an Iranian offer to coordinate both countries' return to their nuclear deal commitments, arguing that the Islamic Republic must first reinstate the restrictions suspended in response to the US having abandoned the agreement entirely nearly three years ago.

"If Iran comes back into full compliance with its obligations under the JCPOA, the United States would do the same," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his first press conference Tuesday, adding, and "we would then use that as a platform to build a longer and a stronger agreement that also addresses other areas of concern."

Reacting to the American official’s remarks, Ulyanov said, “I hope this is a wrong assessment. Otherwise we observe something as bonfire of vanities and fruitless ambitions: the other side has to make the first step.”

“This is high time for #US and #Iran to make coordinated steps to restore full implementation of #JCPOA,” the Russian diplomat added.

I hope this is a wrong assessment. Otherwise we observe something as bonfire of vanities and fruitless ambitions: the other side has to make the first step. The way to nowhere. This is high time for #US and #Iran to make coordinated steps to restore full implementation of #JCPOA. https://t.co/LSBkVfKoXk

— Mikhail Ulyanov (@Amb_Ulyanov) February 3, 2021

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Monday evening that EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell can resolve the current standoff between Tehran and Washington over the JCPOA.

“Clearly there can be a mechanism to basically either synchronize [Iran and US moves] or coordinate what can be done. The JCPOA has a built-in mechanism, which is the joint commission. The joint commission has a coordinator … who can sort of choreograph the actions needed to be taken by Iran and the US,” Zarif said.

US must stop arms sales to region before any talks on Iran missiles: Zarif

Iran’s foreign minister says the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers did not include Iran’s defensive capabilities because the US was not prepared to stop its arms sales to the region as a precondition.

Iran believes that it was the US who left the deal unilaterally without any legal grounds and Washington should restart observing its commitments under the accord before Iran could go back on measures taken to reduce its JCPOA commitments in reaction to US measure.

Zarif said in his CNN interview that the reason why Iran has moved away from its JCPOA commitments is the US move to impose a full economic war against Iran.

“First of all the United States must establish its bona fide, to come back to the nuclear deal ... The US is not in the nuclear deal because of its own decision to withdraw without taking the routes that were available to it within the nuclear agreement,” he added.

War and talks don't go together: Iran's foreign minister

Iran

Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from Iran’s nuclear deal in 2018. Under the deal, Tehran had agreed to limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

After the US ramped up sanctions, Iran gradually and publicly abandoned the deal’s limits on its nuclear activities.

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