Alwaght- Russia is in favor of restoring the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in its initial form, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the Middle East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow, the top Russian diplomat called for the “full restoration” of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), stressing the deal should be restored in its initial form that was approved by the UN.
"We have proposed an informal road map, envisioning Iran's and the United States simultaneous gradual return to implementation of their obligations. French colleagues help us formulate the steps, especially the first step, which should launch the process of JCPOA full restoration," he said.
The remarks come in the wake of a report by American news website Politico, which claimed the US is to end the deadlock over the nuclear deal with a new proposal.
The proposal asks Iran to halt some of its nuclear activities, such as work on advanced centrifuges and the enrichment of uranium to 20 percent purity, in exchange for some relief from US economic sanctions, said one person familiar with the situation, who stressed that the details are still being worked out.
In response to the report, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic to the United Nations reiterated that no proposal is needed for the US to rejoin the JCPOA.
“It only requires a political decision by the US to fully and immediately implement all of its obligations under the accord and abide by UNSCR 2231,” which endorsed the deal, the mission said in a tweet.
A senior Iranian official also told Press TV on Monday that Tehran will not stop 20-percent uranium enrichment before the US sanctions are removed.
The official said "20-percent uranium enrichment is in line with Paragraph 36 of the JCPOA and will be stopped only if the US lifts all the sanctions,” stressing the country will not stop any of its current nuclear activities before the removal of all sanctions.
Iranian officials have also rejected any renegotiation of the JCPOA or inclusion of other issues other than the nuclear program of the country in it, saying the agreement is a done deal.
