DUBAI: Iran said on Monday that it had not closed the 鈥渄oor to negotiations鈥� in efforts to resolve a dispute over its nuclear agreement with world powers that has escalated steadily since the United States withdrew from the deal in 2018.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said any further move by Tehran to scale back its commitments to the deal would depend on actions by other parties, after European states triggered a mechanism that could lead to the reimposition of UN sanctions.
Iran has gradually stepped back from its obligations to the 2015 deal, under which Tehran secured sanctions relief in return for limiting its nuclear work, after Washington quit the agreement and then imposed stringent U.S. sanctions.
Britain, France and Germany, also signatories to the pact, triggered a dispute mechanism this month, citing Iranian violations. This starts a diplomatic process that could lead to U.N. sanctions being reimposed.
鈥淭ehran still remains in the deal ... The European powers鈥� claims about Iran violating the deal are unfounded,鈥� Mousavi told a weekly news conference in Tehran, saying that the 鈥渄oor to negotiations鈥� had not been closed.
鈥淲hether Iran will further decrease its nuclear commitments will depend on other parties and whether Iran鈥檚 interests are secured under the deal,鈥� Mousavi said.
US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and began a policy of 鈥渕aximum pressure鈥� on Iran, saying he wanted a new deal that would cover nuclear issues, Iran鈥檚 ballistic missile programme and Iranian activities in the Middle East.
Britain has said a 鈥淭rump deal鈥� could replace the 2015 agreement and France has called for broad talks to end a crisis with the United States, which briefly erupted into tit-for-tat U.S.-Iranian military action this month.
Mousavi repeated Iran鈥檚 rejection of a 鈥淭rump deal.鈥� Iranian officials have said Trump could not be trusted, so such deal would not have any value.