Blinken: Nuclear deal example of coop between Russia, USA on security issues

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program is an example of cooperation between Russia and the United States on security issues, Report informs citing TASS that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this on Friday at a press conference following his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva.

"I should also note that I had a chance to discuss Iran with the foreign minister, an example of how the United States and Russia can work together on security issues of mutual concern," he said.

Blinken said negotiations with Tehran to restore the JCPOA "have reached a turning point".

"If a deal is not reached in the next few weeks, Iran's continued progress in the nuclear field will make it impossible to restore the JCPOA. But there is still an opportunity, albeit a small one, to bring these negotiations to a successful conclusion and solve the remaining problems of all parties," the Secretary of State said.

According to the state secretary, if "a deal cannot be reached and Iran refuses to make the necessary commitments," the US "will go a different way to deal with the threat posed by Iran's renewed nuclear program." He did not explain what measures Washington is ready to take in this regard.