US-Russia-Israel meeting to focus on Iran issue, says US embassy

© Marina Lystseva/TASS

VOLOGDA, June 4. /TASS/. Washington expects that the US, Israel and Russia will find a more productive way to resolve the Iran issue, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Moscow Anthony Godfrey told TASS on the sidelines of a conference dubbed "The Fort Ross Dialogue. Meetings in Russia" in the Russian city of Vologda.

"US National Security Adviser John Bolton has more than once met with his Russian counterpart [Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev - TASS]," he said. According to Godfrey, the parties will continue discussing the issue in Jerusalem later in the month. "Israel and the United States are strongly concerned about Iran’s role in the region and share these issues with their Russian partners," he added.

"We have heard on numerous occasions that Russia can see some aspects of Iran’s Middle East policy, which run counter to Russia’s goals in the region," Godfrey pointed out. "I hope that after the meeting, we will be able to find a more productive way," he noted.

When asked if the United States sought to ease tensions with Iran, the diplomat said: "US President Donald Trump’s policy is quite clear, it was like this even before his presidency." "We have seen Iran’s actions outside the JPCOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - TASS] and other actions in the region, which have become more aggressive and more dangerous for the world," Godfrey emphasized. "We are taking measures to draw the attention of our partners and counterparts to this," he added.

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, US National Security Adviser John Bolton and Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat are expected to hold a meeting in Jerusalem in late June.

Iran nuclear deal issue

In 2015, Iran and six major powers (five member states of the United Nations Security Council - Russia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and China - and Germany) agreed on the final Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which particularly stipulated the removal of sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear program.

On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump announced Washington’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. He said that old sanctions on Iran would be restored and new ones would be introduced in case Tehran attempted to pursue its nuclear ambitions. The first batch of new US sanctions on Iran took effect on August 7 and the second one became effective on November 5. In the wake of Trump’s decision, the leaders of Great Britain, Germany and France called on other participants in the deal to continue fulfilling it. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow would seek to maintain the agreement.

On May 15, 2019, Iran reduced its commitments to the JCPOA, saying that if other participants failed to ensure the deal’s implementation within 60 days, Tehran might resume its uranium-enrichment activities and halt the redesign of the Arak heavy water reactor.

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