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A joint statement from France, Britain, Germany and the United States on Thursday said Washington was “ready to talk” with Tehran.
The statement came after a video meeting between the foreign ministers of three European countries and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Reuters reported.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed by Iran with six world powers in 2015, promised to lift sanctions on Tehran on the condition that it curb its nuclear weapons program.
Former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the deal three years ago and reinstated all previous sanctions on Iran. Later, Tehran also began to violate the terms of the agreement.
The new Joe Biden administration expressed interest in returning to the nuclear deal; That interest was also reflected in the joint statement by the four countries on Thursday.
“If they agree to fulfill the commitments made by Iran in the JCPOA, then the United States agrees to fulfill its commitments and is ready to speak with Iran in this regard,” the four countries said in a statement.
In an immediate response, Iran said the United States must take the first step to save the nuclear deal.
“Instead of resorting to diplomacy or imposing sanctions on Iran, the three European countries or the EU should honor their commitments in the agreement and demand an end to economic terrorism in Iran, which has been under the Trump administration. Our countermeasures were in response to the violation of the treaty by the three European countries and the United States. If you are afraid of it, remove the reasons behind it (reaction). We will respond according to your arrangements, “said Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, on Twitter.
Trump pulled the United States out of the nuclear deal in 2016; In return, starting in 2019, Iran also began violating the terms of the deal for them.
The three European countries in the treaty and Russia and China have taken various initiatives to save the treaty, but have failed due to Washington’s reluctance. After Biden won the US presidential election in November, new hopes emerged for a nuclear deal with Iran.
A Biden administration official has indicated that Washington will respond if any European country initiates talks between Iran and the six world powers.
“We are ready to go there if there is such a meeting,” he said.
A senior European Union official also spoke about the possibility of such a meeting on the Iran nuclear deal. However, it is unknown if any initiative has been taken in this regard, or when the meeting will take place.
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