Iran praised Russia's backing for Tehran's positions in the Vienna talks, with the Iranian foreign minister expressing hope that Washington's sense of realism would move the negotiations closer to a final accord.

Iranian FM Hossein Amir-Abdollahian's words came during a joint press conference with Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, on Thursday in Tehran where they revealed both sides discussed arrangements for the Vienna talks about the JCPOA.

Expressing hope for the resumption of the nuclear negotiations in the near future, the Iranian foreign minister said, “I hope we could reach the final point of an agreement in the near future with the American party’s realism.”

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He also pointed out that Lavrov had reiterated Russia's support for Iran's political views and for the JCPOA negotiations leading to a final agreement.

China, Russia friendly allies 

Amir-Abdollahian hailed friendly nations including Russia and China for opposing a recent anti-Iran resolution put forth by the US and the European troika at the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“We also praise Russia’s constant support for the continuation of works at the International Atomic Energy Agency and for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s regional interests and stances,” the top Iranian diplomat stated.

Amir-Abdollahian cited his discussions with Lavrov over the "political howling" of the Israeli occupation and claimed that the region will not allow "Israel" to endanger security, stability, and advancement.

He also voiced the expectation that a summit between Iran, Russia, and Turkey will take place in Tehran as part of bilateral negotiations and the Astana format. The Russian foreign minister stated that Moscow and Tehran are committed to deepening their ties.

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New agreements

Lavrov urged for new forms of collaboration in the energy sector, transportation, agriculture, financing, and customs matters, citing an increase of 80% in the annual trade exchanges between Russia and Iran, which stood at about $4 billion in the previous year.

He emphasized that the US should not be permitted to alter international norms, the foundations of the UN Charter, or the equality of states' sovereignties, and he added that Moscow and Tehran reject the unilateral US sanctions that are in violation of the UN Charter.

Lavrov stated that the goal of the JCPOA talks is to correct the error that the US made.

Washington and JCPOA

The Russian foreign minister highlighted that the JCPOA should be renewed in its original form as in 2015, without any extra subjects, and deplored the US for breaking international law by exiting the nuclear deal and the UNSC Resolution approving it.

Donald Trump, who was US president at the time, announced the US' exit from the Iran nuclear agreement in 2018.

Talks on the resurrection of the JCPOA started in Vienna, Austria, after current-US President Joe Biden expressed a desire to rejoin the accord.

Read next: US official: Washington ready for direct negotiations with Iran

After eight rounds of negotiations to return the JCPOA to its original shape and bring the US back into the accord owing to external considerations, a pause was taken in Vienna on March 11, 2022. The Vienna negotiations had already neared their conclusion and were anticipated to be finished by the end of February prior to that.

The wording of the agreements achieved, which is roughly 20 pages long and outlines additional procedures to resume the nuclear accord in its original form, was agreed upon.

Some countries violate UN resolutions in Syria

Lavrov explained that, "We focused on economic issues and the development of bilateral relations, as well as the illegal US steps against Russia and Iran."

He added that "some countries impede the implementation of United Nations resolutions on Syria within the framework of the Astana talks," adding that Moscow stressed the need to implement UN Resolution 2254 related to the Syrian settlement, calling also to discuss the recent targeting of Damascus International Airport at the United Nations.

"Unfortunately, the latest incident is very dangerous. It was an attack on a civilian airport that effectively grounded this airport for several weeks, not to mention the problems that arose due to the inability to deliver humanitarian supplies by air."

Lavrov considered that "Washington acts irregularly on any file, not only in the Iranian nuclear file," adding that "US policy today is provoking conflicts and crises, and we see this in its initiative to establish a missile shield in the Middle East."