Russia To West: Address ‘Iran’s Legitimate Demands’ in Vienna

By Staff, Agencies

Russia called on the Western parties to the negotiations in Vienna to work on addressing “Iran’s legitimate demands” instead of blaming Moscow for the stalemate in the talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

In a post on its Twitter account on Friday, the Russian Permanent Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying that the West is raising doubts about Russia’s commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] rather than admitting its own mistakes.

“Doubts of Russia’s commitment to JCPOA is a card played by those who can’t admit their own mistakes. We suggest our Western colleagues focus their energy on addressing #Iran’s legitimate demands regarding the draft restoration agreement,” she said.

Earlier this month, the talks were paused for an undetermined time despite reports suggesting that they were in final stages.

The Europeans pinned the blame on Russia for the suspension of the talks, citing Moscow’s demand for guarantees that its trade with Tehran would not be affected by Western sanctions over the operation in Ukraine.

Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Moscow has received guarantees from Washington it can continue its nuclear cooperation deals with Iran.

The US State Department also confirmed that the Biden administration would “not sanction Russian participation in nuclear projects that are part of resuming full implementation of the JCPOA.”