Iran says ‘serious’ about reaching revived nuclear deal

• Iran says it remains “serious” about reviving a nuclear deal with major powers that would end economic sanctions.
• Russia was a party to the original 2015 deal that gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for UN-monitored limits.
• It has taken part in on-off talks that opened in Vienna in April last year on bringing Washington back into the agreement.

Iran said Thursday that it remains “serious” about reviving a nuclear deal with major powers that would end economic sanctions and include the United States once again.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was speaking at a joint news conference with his visiting Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, as talks in Vienna remained stalled.

“The nuclear negotiations train has reached difficult stops as they near the end,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

Read More: Russia fully supports revival of Iran nuclear deal

He stressed Iran was “serious about reaching a good, strong and lasting agreement” and called for similar realism from the US side.

“I hope we can reach the final point of the agreement in the near future with realism from the American side,” he said.

Russia was a party to the original 2015 deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA — that gave Iran relief from international sanctions in return for UN-monitored limits to its nuclear activities.

It has taken part in the on-off talks that opened in Vienna in April last year on bringing Washington back into the agreement after President Donald’s 2018 withdrawal.

“Today, with the other participants in the JCPOA… we are making every effort to repair the American error when the United States left the JCPOA,” Lavrov told the news conference.

Read More: Iran blames US for nuclear deal stalemate

Iran and Russia have both been dealing with the economic consequences of Western actions. Since its invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February, Moscow has faced increasing sanctions.

“We oppose illegal sanctions against countries including Russia,” Amir-Abdollahian said.