WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — In July 2015, Iran and the P5+1 countries — the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom plus Germany – signed an agreement ensuring the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program in return for the gradual lifting of sanctions against Tehran.
"We are convinced that the nuclear deal for Iran is the best option to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons," Gabriel stated.
The deal came into force on January 16, 2016, after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran was ready to implement the program to reduce its nuclear potential.
However, the United States imposed new sanctions against Iran in February 2017 after Tehran had carried out a medium-range ballistic missile test in late January.
