Russia Blasts US Stance against Iran N. Deal as "Politically-Motivated"

TEHRAN (defapress)- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rapped US stance against the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers as "politically-motivated", warning against its consequences.

News ID: 68154

Date: 19 January 2018 - 16:34

The possible collapse of the nuclear deal would send an "alarming" message to the world, Lavrov said, addressing a UN Security Council meeting about Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) on Thursday.

He advised signatories of the deal against abandoning it to pursue their own interests.

Lavrov said that the deal between Iran and six world powers (the US, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany) is ''a genuine achievement of international diplomacy'.'

He also denounced the US stance against the nuclear agreement as politically-motivated, saying the deal cannot be abandoned "for the benefit of political agendas of certain countries".

"Clearly the failure of the JCPOA, specially as a result of one of the parties... would be an alarming message for the entire international community architecture," Lavrov said.

In relevant remarks on Monday, Lavrov stressed that Moscow will not back the US attempts to change the 2015 nuclear deal struck between Iran and the Group 5+1.

"We will not support what the US is trying to do, changing the wording of the agreement, incorporating things that will be absolutely unacceptable for Iran," Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow.

Lavrov's remarks came a few days after US President Donald Trump extended sanctions waivers on Iran to give Washington and its European allies a chance to “fix the terrible flaws” of the nuclear agreement.

"I have outlined two possible paths forward: either fix the deal’s disastrous flaws, or the United States will withdraw," Trump said last week.

In his remarks, Lavrov emphasized his country’s determination to work to preserve the existing nuclear agreement with Iran.

Russia's top diplomat also warned that the breakdown of the deal could be detrimental to dialogue with North Korea.

"If the deal is put aside and Iran is told, 'you keep up with your obligations or we will impose sanctions again', then you have to put North Korea in its place," Lavrov said.

"They are being promised that sanctions will be lifted if they give up their nuclear program. They will give it up, but no one will lift the sanctions against Pyongyang," he added.

The agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was reached between Iran and six world powers in July, 2015. The deal puts limitations on parts of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program in exchange for removing all nuclear-related sanctions.