Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov commented on his consultations on the Iran nuclear deal with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran.
Speaking with the Rossiyaskaya Gazeta daily, the diplomat noted that the consultations raised the issues which Iranian President Hassan Rouhani publicized in fact on the anniversary of the United States’ withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
"We can see the severe pressure on the part of the United States toward Iran and [we can see] the attempts to blackmail this country … At the same time, there is no positive agenda and the United States is not suggesting any alternative options. It only declares, including on the high level, that it is open for dialogue. But it is not a basis for real talks," the diplomat noted.
Ryabkov said that if the United States was willing to engage in dialogue with Iran, it should make suggestions on what it was ready to offer Iran in exchange for beginning talks on the new nuclear deal terms.
