The United States guarantees the nuclear deal with Iran

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Russia: The United States guarantees the nuclear deal with Iran

MOSCOW (Associated Press/Bloomberg) – The United States has given Russia “written assurances” that US sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine will not affect Russian-Iranian cooperation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian in Moscow that these guarantees are included in the agreements to revive the Iranian nuclear deal.

Earlier this month, Russia requested these guarantees, which should give Moscow the right to free cooperation with Tehran on trade, energy, economy and defense. Now that it is granted, negotiations in Vienna on the nuclear deal can be accelerated, according to Moscow. These were suspended last Friday, Lavrov said, but could resume soon. Thought the deal is within reach.

The 2015 deal — between Iran, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China and the European Union — faltered in 2018 when the United States withdrew. It was agreed that Iran would refrain from producing nuclear weapons. In return, severe economic sanctions on Iran were lifted. Tehran has long denied that it wants to produce nuclear weapons.