Iran wants 'stronger guarantees' from US to revive nuclear deal: FM

Iran says it is reviewing the US response to the European Union draft proposal aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal but stresses the importance of "stronger guarantees" from the American side to clinch the deal.

According to Press TV, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks on Wednesday at a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow following their delegation-level talks. 

"We have received the American side's last text, and my colleagues are closely studying the response with the required [level of] rigor and speed," he remarked.

The top diplomat, however, asserted that concerning [the issue of] guarantee, Tehran needs "stronger text and stronger guarantees" to wrap up negotiations underway since April last year to revive the deal and to lift crippling sanctions on Iran.

Amir-Abdollahian said Iran is serious about the conclusion of a lasting agreement, adding that an agreement would not be out of reach if the US acts "realistically" and the present text is reinforced.

"Our purpose is the conclusion of a good, strong, and lasting agreement," he stressed, urging the opposite side to show realism and pragmatism. 

For his part, Lavrov said Russia backed the revival of the nuclear deal and complete elimination of the sanctions.

Amir-Abdollahian also hit out at the UN nuclear agency, urging it to stick to its "technical duty", and drop the "political behavior" towards Iran.

Message for Moscow

The FM said he conveyed a message on behalf of "one of the European leaders" for Russia concerning the issue of Ukraine.

"Some ideas have been put forward towards the conclusion of the Ukraine war. We talked [with the Russian foreign minister] about humanitarian issues too," he said.

SS