Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Saturday that the United States "needs to move more and resolve all issues related" to reviving the nuclear deal with Iran. In a press conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Lavrov expressed hope that negotiations in Vienna, which involve Iran, Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany, would resume "as soon as possible."
He added, "Iran is not doing anything that should be prohibited," criticizing the unilateral sanctions imposed on Tehran after the United States withdrew from the 2015 agreement in 2018. Lavrov noted that Iran has stopped adhering to several commitments related to the nuclear deal "simply because the United States exited it," emphasizing that Washington has imposed sanctions on Iran since 2018 that are not only related to enriched uranium but also target "all those who legally trade with Iran."
He continued, "These sanctions should be lifted as part of reinstating the nuclear deal, and all of Iran's trading partners in all sectors should not be affected by unilateral American actions." Throughout the week, the Americans and Europeans intensified discussions regarding the Iranian file on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. They expressed frustration and annoyance over Iran, stating that it has not provided any "clear indication," in their view, of its intentions to resume negotiations to save the deal regarding its nuclear program.
Since the election of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi last June, negotiations in Vienna aimed at reviving the nuclear agreement and bringing the United States back into the fold while ensuring the lifting of American sanctions on Tehran have stalled. The goal of the 2015 agreement was to monitor Iran's nuclear program to ensure it remains peaceful and to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, in exchange for lifting international sanctions imposed on Tehran.
