Iran welcomes ‘ diplomacy’ to revive nuclear deal, says FM

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir- Abdollahian said Wednesday that his country “welcomes the continuation of diplomacy and talks” to rescue the Iranian nuclear deal.

Amir- Abdollahian made the remarks in a phone conversation with European Union ( EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell after the EU’s top diplomat proposed a new draft text to restore the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA).

The Iranian minister reiterated that Iran is “determined to reach a good, robust and lasting deal,” urging the US to move “realistically toward finding a solution and reaching a deal.”

Washington “has always claimed that it wants a deal, so this must exist in the wording of the agreement and also in practice,” he added.

Borrell noted in an opinion piece published by the Financial Times on Tuesday that he has put a text on the table as he has “concluded that the space for additional significant compromises has been exhausted.”

“This text represents the best possible deal that I, as facilitator of the negotiations, see as feasible,” he wrote, adding that “I see no other comprehensive or effective alternative within reach.”

Iran signed the JCPOA with the world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country.

However, former US president Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact.