Russia Rejects Trump’s Remarks about JCPOA

Moscow considers comments by Donald Trump on the nuclear deal with Iran as “extremely negative”, Sergei Ryabkov said in remarks carried by RIA state news agency on Saturday.

His remarks came after Trump threatened to withdraw from the deal if some “flaws” are not “fixed”.

On Friday, Trump again waived sanctions against Iran that were lifted as part of the landmark nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"Today, I am waiving the application of certain nuclear sanctions, but only in order to secure our European allies' agreement to fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal," he said in the statement.

"This is a last chance. In the absence of such an agreement, the United States will not again waive sanctions in order to stay in the Iran nuclear deal. And if at any time I judge that such an agreement is not within reach, I will withdraw from the deal immediately. No one should doubt my word."

In reply, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took to Twitter on Friday to condemn Trump’s reluctant announcement on the nuclear sanctions waiver, saying, “Trump’s policy & today’s announcement amount to desperate attempts to undermine a solid multilateral agreement, maliciously violating its paras 26, 28 & 29."

He further stressed that the deal is “not renegotiable” and urged Trump to, instead of repeating tired rhetoric, bring the US into full compliance of the deal, just like Iran.