Russian senior diplomat: no backsliding on Iran nuke deal

The situation around reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program is static but there was no backsliding either, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters on Tuesday.

"The situation around agreements on reviving the JCPOA in the shape it was concluded is currently static. Yet there was no backsliding either," the senior diplomat said.

According to him, the deal’s revival is largely an "issue of making relevant political decisions." "The most important decision here is the necessity for the US to realize and admit that they need to return to the full-scale implementation of [UN Security Council] Resolution 2231," the deputy foreign minister pointed out.

Ryabkov added that if Washington recognizes this, then "all subsequent steps will be made easier and faster than it has been so far." "The Iranian side confirms its readiness both to promptly conclude negotiations on the JCPOA and continue cooperation with the IAEA Secretariat on relevant subjects. There are no unsolvable problems here and, in my opinion, no impasse is in sight," he concluded.