Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday that US suggestions that the Kremlin was blocking efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal were untrue, following talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian in Moscow.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Lavrov also told Amirabdollahian that agreement on the revival of deal – officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – was in the finishing straight.
European powers have warned that Russia's demands to have its trade guaranteed with Iran could wreck an attempt to restore the Iranian nuclear deal. Lavrov said Moscow had received written assurances from Washington that sanctions against Russia over Ukraine would not hinder cooperation within the framework of the agreement which lifted sanctions on Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
A senior US State Department official said when asked about Lavrov's comments, "We continue to engage with Russia on a return to full implementation of the JCPOA. We would of course not sanction Russian participation in nuclear projects that are part of resuming full implementation of the JCPOA.
"We cannot provide assurances beyond that to Russia and have no comment on Lavrov's publicly reported remarks. "Perhaps it is now clear to Moscow that, as we have said publicly, the new Russia-related sanctions are unrelated to the JCPOA and should not have any impact on its implementation," the official added.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
