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Russia says it has written guarantees on Iran nuclear deal -Breaking

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© Reuters. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Abdollahian shake hands during a joint press conference held in Moscow, Russia on March 15, 2022. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool

Parisa Hafezi and Humeyra Tamuk

DUBAI/WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Russia claimed on Tuesday that it had received written assurances it could carry out its duties as a member of the Iran nuclear agreement. This suggests Moscow might allow a resurgent 2015 pact.

Sergei Lavrov the Russian Foreign Minister said that Moscow had changed its earlier view that Western sanctions against Russia due to its invasion in Ukraine were an obstacle to salvaging its nuclear agreement.

Lavrov unexpectedly requested that Russia’s trade relations with Iran be protected from the Ukraine-related sanctions on March 5. This demand was rejected by Western powers, but Washington insists it won’t accept.

The deal was officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or (JCPOA). Iran committed to limiting its nuclear program in order to make it more difficult to develop a bomb, an ambition that it rejects. In exchange for global economic sanctions being lifted.

“We have received written guarantees – they are included in the very text of the agreement on reviving the JCPOA, and in these texts there is a reliable defence of all the projects provided for by the JCPOA and those activities – including the linking up of our companies and specialists,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov, speaking at a Moscow news conference alongside Hossein Amirabdollahian, denied Russia’s interference in the renewal of the 2015 agreement.

“I have heard how the Americans have every day tried to accuse us of delaying the agreement – that is a lie. The agreement is not finally approved in several capitals, and the Russian capital – Moscow – is not one of them.”

Oil prices plunged sharply following Lavrov’s remarks that Moscow wanted the nuclear agreement to resume as soon possible. Also, there were doubts regarding Chinese demand after China had received an influx of COVID-19 cases.

However, many Western officials claimed that they weren’t sure what Lavrov meant.

Officials from the West claim there is a common interest in avoiding an international nuclear proliferation crisis. They are currently trying to determine if Russia’s demands only concern its Iran nuclear agreements. This would be feasible, however, anything more than that would cause problems, they claim.

In Washington, another U.S. official reacted cautiously to Lavrov’s comments. He suggested that Moscow may have changed its mind about the U.S. position that Russia’s invasion in Ukraine would not undermine the Iran nuclear deal.

A senior U.S. State Department official spoke on condition of anonymity that “we would of course not sanction Russian involvement in nuclear projects which are part of resuming complete implementation of the JCPOA.”

He said, “We can’t provide any assurances to Russia beyond those.” Moscow may now be aware that the Russia-related new sanctions have no connection to the JCPOA, which we had publicly stated, and therefore should have no impact on the implementation of the JCPOA.”

It took eleven months for the United States to reach a deal that was not renewed. Iran violated its nuclear boundaries about a year after Trump’s departure in 2018.

Iran stated that the United States did not have the “political will” necessary to address several remaining issues during the Vienna nuclear talks. Washington should remove all sanctions related to terrorism and human rights, which include those placed on Washington’s elite Revolutionary Guards last year.

Amirabdollahian stated that the Vienna talks pause could resolve many of the remaining issues, and suggested Russia wasn’t an impediment.

According to him, Russia is willing to stand beside us up to the final negotiations to achieve a strong, stable, and reliable nuclear agreement if we reach an agreement with the United States over the remaining issues.

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