Iran's Zarif In Moscow For Talks On Nuclear Deal, Situation in Gulf

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Moscow to meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, to discuss bilateral and regional issues.

"The Russian government has stood with the Islamic republic of Iran during difficult times and we will definitely treat our friends, who stood by us during difficult times, differently, " Zarif told reporters upon arrival in Moscow on September 2.

Zarif, who is leading a delegation that includes Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian as head of the Iran-Russia economic commission, said he will discuss bilateral ties, regional issues, including Syria and Afghanistan, and the latest developments regarding the 2015 nuclear deal with his Russian counterpart.

The two will discuss the tense situation in the Persian Gulf and the future of the 2015 nuclear deal from which the United States withdrew last year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on August 28.

Other topics on the agenda include Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, and broadening “trade and economic cooperation,” Zakharova said.

As one of the five remaining signatories of the 2015 deal -- called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) -- under which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for an easing of sanctions, Moscow has urged restraint between the United States and Iran.

After pulling out of the agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran that target its lucrative oil industry and the financial sector. He has called for an international maritime patrol to be sent to waters near Iran to safeguard passage for ships.

A series of recent attacks on international ships, which the United States has blamed on Iran, and the seizure of a British tanker, have added to volatility in the region and on the global shipping industry.

Zarif in 2015 was Iran's chief negotiator for the JCPOA. 

Iran, however, has begun reducing some of its commitments under the agreement. Tehran has called on the remaining signatories, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China to help the country bypass U.S. sanctions and benefit from the deal economically. 

In announcing the withdrawal, Trump said the JCPOA's terms were not tough enough to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and did not address Iran's missile program or Tehran's support for militants in the region.

Iran has denied it supports insurgent activity and said its nuclear program was strictly for civilian energy purposes.

Meanwhile, the deal's European signatories have tried to salvage the accord, with French President Emanuel Macron leading efforts to defuse the crisis by finding ways of resuming dialogue.

Lavrov and Zarif last met in May when Russia celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II.