Iran Rules Out Stopgap Deal With Russia In Vienna Talks On JCPOA - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2022) Tehran is not considering any interim deal in the ongoing negotiations on the revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), held in Vienna, including an accord with Russia, media reported on Tuesday, citing government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi.

The spokesman denied a report of the US media outlet NBC about a proposal made by Moscow to Tehran to provide a certain sanction relief in exchange for reimposing some curbs on its nuclear program. Washington is aware of these discussions held between Russian and Iranian Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Ebrahim Raisi during the latter's trip to Moscow earlier this month, the outlet said, citing US officials with knowledge of the matter.

According to the Tasnim news Agency, Jahromi denied the allegation that the leaders held such discussions, stressing that Iranian negotiators in Vienna, where the eighth round of talks on the nuclear deal began in late December, retain focus on the issue of the cancellation of US sanctions. Raisi and Putin exchanged views on these issues during their meeting in Moscow, he added.

Iran signed the JCPOA with Russia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, France, and Germany in 2015. In 2018, the� Trump administration withdrew from the deal and enacted hardline policies against Iran, prompting the latter to largely abandon its obligations.