MOSCOW. Sept 2 (Interfax) - Iran's decision to reduce its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) concerning its nuclear program is a direct consequence of unacceptable actions by the U.S., Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said following talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Moscow on Monday.
"We perfectly understand that the steps Iran has to take to partially suspend the implementation of its voluntary - I'll stress, voluntary - obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) are a direct consequence of the United States' unacceptable actions regarding a crucial document approved by the UN Security Council," Lavrov said.
"And there have been obvious attempts to provoke Iran into violating the nonproliferation regime and disrupting cooperation with the IAEA [the International Atomic Energy Agency], perhaps in order to get a pretext to pursue forcible scenarios, which we categorically denounce and which would be definitely ruinous for the entire region," he said.
"Therefore, we appreciate the composure of our Iranian counterparts and their strict adherence to all international legal norms existing in the area of nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction," Lavrov said.