Alwaght- The US State Department spokesman said on Friday evening that the Biden administration would not boycott Russia's cooperation with Iran over its nuclear projects.
Washington will not boycott Russia's participation in nuclear projects that are part of the nuclear deal, said Ned Price in response to a plan by a group of US senators to block waivers from sanctions on peaceful nuclear cooperation with Iran.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Security Council Resolution 2231, and all previous UN resolutions recognize all of Russia's engagement with Iran over the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Such partnership is not banned by any of these documents, Price told Newsmax.
On Wednesday, Republican lawmakers in the US Senate introduced a bill calling for the US government to prevent China and Russia from cooperation with Iran on its nuclear program as part of the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, led the motion and 12 other lawmakers supported the move.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had stated that he had received "written" assurances from the US government that sanctions on Russia under the pretext of Ukraine's attack would not impede Iran-Russia cooperation in the nuclear field.
Russia's state-owned company Rosatom plans to make a $10 billion investment to complete a new phase of Bushehr nuclear power plant.
The US government has not confirmed such a written guarantee to Russia, but has repeatedly stated that cooperation on Iran's nuclear projects, including the Bushehr plant, is part of the terms of the nuclear deal and that the US will not seek sanctions against it.
The West imposed sanctions against Russia for its operation in Ukraine.
Cooperation in nuclear projects related to Bushehr nuclear power plant, Arak reactor, and Tehran research reactor is allowed under the agreement reached with world powers in 2015, but the Donald Trump administration had removed the sanctions exemptions related to this cooperation. Joe Biden's government recently reinstated them.
