MOSCOW. Sept 5 (Interfax) - The United States is responsible for Iran's decision to start the third phase of the reduction of its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on its nuclear program, Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee deputy head Alexei Chepa said.
"Unfortunately, the U.S. is provoking Iran into taking certain actions. Iran has consistently honored its obligations under the JCPOA, and we see that, in acting this way now, it is reacting to the U.S.' actions," Chepa told Interfax on Thursday.
"Analogous developments are taking place on the Korean Peninsula, where the Americans are failing to honor their obligations," but "Russia and other European countries are doing all they can so as not to foment tension around Iran. Unfortunately, we see what is happening," he said.
"Naturally, this is not a way to resolve problems existing in the region, and this cannot but alarm Iran's neighbors, like Israel and others, and it's the U.S. that is fully to blame for that," Chepa said.
He described the U.S.' position and actions toward Iran as "unconstructive."
"Russia has been permanently holding negotiations on various forums involving not only Russia but also a number of European countries, which understand that the U.S. position is unconstructive and only increases the tension," Chepa said.
Asked by Interfax whether negotiations between Iran and the U.S. were possible, Chepa said he was "hoping that such negotiations could be possible."
First deputy head of the State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Dmitry Novikov said the third phase of Iran's reduction of its obligations under the JCPOA was prompted by the U.S. refusal to provide guarantees under the deal, without which it is unlikely to be saved.
"Iran once started its nuclear program to ensure its national interests to withstand foreign pressure, primarily that on the part of the U.S. As Washington has called into question all existing agreements and refused to guarantee their implementation, Tehran has been increasingly less inclined to abide by them," Novikov told Interfax on Thursday.
The deal is unlikely to be saved if only the European countries and Iran remain parties to it, but it would ultimately depend on the political practice, he said.
"The key to resolving this problem is not in Tehran but in Washington, and the Iranian nuclear program issue cannot be settled without Iran's goodwill," Novikov said.
U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said on Wednesday that the U.S. was not inclined to suspend the sanctions on Tehran. He explained this was being done as part of a campaign to force Iran to start negotiations on the nuclear and missile problem.
The U.S. unilaterally announced its withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018 and has reinstated tough sanctions on Iran, including a full embargo on exports of Iranian oil, revenues from which are of key significance to the country's economy.
On May 8, 2019, Tehran announced the first phase of the reduction of its obligations under the JCPOA, saying that the E3, i.e., France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, had 60 days to satisfy its economic interests. Upon the expiration of this term, on July 7, Iran started the second phase of this reduction, giving another 60 days for satisfying its needs.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had said earlier that Tehran would start the third phase of the reduction of its obligations under the JCPOA on September 5.