Iran seeks stronger U.S. guarantees for revival of 2015 nuclear deal

[August 31, 2022]  DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran needs stronger guarantees from Washington for the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal, its foreign minister said in Moscow on Wednesday, adding that the U.N. atomic watchdog should drop its "politically motivated probes" of Tehran's nuclear work. 

Iran's and U.S.' flags are seen printed on paper in this illustration taken January 27, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

After 16 months of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Aug. 8 the EU had laid down a final offer to overcome an impasse for the revival of the agreement.

Iran's top diplomat, Hossein Amirabdollahian, said Tehran was carefully reviewing Washington's response to the text, which was conveyed to Iran last week by the EU as coordinator of the nuclear talks.

"Iran is carefully reviewing the EU-drafted text... We need stronger guarantees from the other party to have a sustainable deal ... The (U.N.) agency should close its politically motivated probes," Amirabdollahian told reporters.

In 2018, then-U.S. President Donald Trump ditched the nuclear pact and reimposed harsh U.S. sanctions, prompting Tehran to begin breaching the pact's nuclear curbs.

(Writing by Parisa HafeziEditing by Gareth Jones and Nick Macfie)

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