Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned on Friday that the Iran nuclear deal cannot survive if the United States pulls out the agreement, Reuters reported.
"This agreement cannot be implemented if one of the participants unilaterally steps out of it. It will fall apart, there will be no deal then," Lavrov was quoted as having told reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
His comments follow U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision last week to extend a waiveron nuclear sanctions that were imposed on Iran. However, he said it would be the last time he will do so and ordered European allies and Congress to work with him to fix “the disastrous flaws” in the 2015 deal or Washington would withdraw.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the Iran deal, one of his predecessor’s Barack Obama’s signature foreign policy achievements, as the worst ever negotiated by the U.S.
However, European countries do not see eye to eye with Trump on the nuclear deal and have expressed their support for the deal even as Trump has criticized it. Earlier this week, Lavrov said that Moscow will not support attempts by the United States to modify the Iran nuclear deal.
In his remarks on Friday, Lavrov also criticized the U.S. decision to withhold funds for UNRWA, the UN agency for “Palestinian refugees”.
"This decision ... undermines in a serious way the efforts to satisfy the needs of Palestinian refugees in the region," the Russian foreign minister said, according to Reuters.
"We'll consult all stakeholders and we'll see what we can do," he added.
