Washington. June 22. INTERFAX-The United States is interested in returning all parties to compliance with the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), this will not only prevent Iran from creating nuclear weapons, but also allow pressure on Tehran on other issues, State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
"I would say that for us a return to the JCPOA, a return to mutual compliance with the JCPOA is necessary, but it is not enough. And this is not enough precisely because we have other areas of deep concern, " he said at a briefing in the department.
Price explained that if the United States and Iran return to compliance with the terms of the nuclear deal, "we will be in a stronger position to take on the work in these areas through diplomacy." Among them, he attributed Iran's ballistic missile program, Tehran's support for terrorist groups, and respect for human rights.
Price added that Washington intends to address these issues by " working, importantly, with our allies and partners in the 5+1 group, as well as with our regional partners." "Again from a position of strength," he added.
A State Department official said: "If we can bring Iran's nuclear program back within the framework of the JCPOA, if we can ensure that it is again subject to the strictest verification regime, (...) we will be able to solve problems in these areas more effectively."
"As I have already said, the seventh round of negotiations is indirect talks with the Iranians, which we expect to take place in Vienna in the coming days. And we will continue to participate in this process, " Price said.
The diplomat reiterated that it is in the interests of the United States to "achieve a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA" and " prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons." According to him, this remains the constant policy of the United States and does not depend on the results of the presidential elections held in Iran, which he called unfree.
The Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said earlier that the sixth round of negotiations on the revival of the Iranian nuclear deal had been completed, noting that the next meeting of the commission could well be the final one.
