"It is difficult to judge how the events will develop. I would like to hope that the US withdrawal from the agreement is not connected with plans to attack Tehran or change the regime there," Lavrov told the Argentine newspaper Clarin.
Russia is open for cooperation on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and seeks the development of mutually beneficial relations with Iran, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
"We are open for cooperation in the interests of the JCPOA and aim for the development of mutually beneficial cooperation with Tehran," Lavrov said.
The minister expressed hope that the JCPOA will be retained despite the US withdrawal from the deal.
"We believe that it is crucial that Iran has not chosen escalation and continues to fully meet its obligations to the international community. That was once again confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Other parties, including Russia, also remain committed to the agreement," Lavrov said.
The minister said that it is a sign of cautious optimism that the deal might be saved.
Unprecedented Security Guarantees Needed to Resolve Situation Around N.Korea
After the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, it is necessary to create an unprecedented mechanism for mutual security guarantees in order to resolve the situation around North Korea, the Russian foreign minister said.
"It is clear that the nuclear problem of the [Korean] peninsula can't be resolved in isolation from other regional security challenges or to the detriment of the interests of either party. The experience of the past years and the history of the mistakes clearly illustrate this," Lavrov noted.
In light of the current situation around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, it will be necessary to "develop an unprecedented mechanism of mutual guarantees, and this can only be done through the joint efforts of all regional states," according to Lavrov.
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