UN 'encouraged' by steps to preserve Iran nuclear deal after US proposes talks

New York [US], February 19 (ANI/Sputnik): The United Nations welcomes all steps to preserve the Iran nuclear deal in light of the United States' announcement of its readiness to return to diplomacy with Tehran and is reviewing the details of the US proposal, UN spokesman Farhan Haq told Sputnik.
On Thursday, US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said the United States would accept an invitation to attend a meeting with other UN Security Council's permanent members - Russia, France, the United Kingdom, China - plus Germany as well as Iran to discuss Tehran's nuclear program.
"We are looking into the details, but for now, we can say we encourage all steps that uphold the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and support efforts to implement it fully," Haq said when asked about the United Nation's reaction to the US announcement.
Furthermore, US Acting Permanent Representative to the UN Richard Mills announced that Washington withdrew ex-president Donald Trump administration's request to reimpose all UN sanctions against Iran.
In 2015, Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with the P5+1 group and the European Union. The agreement required Iran to scale back its nuclear program and downgrade its uranium reserves in exchange for sanctions relief, including lifting the arms embargo five years after the deal's adoption. The Trump administration exited the deal in 2018 and reinstated sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
In December, Iran passed a law to increase its uranium enrichment and stop UN inspections of its nuclear sites in response to the killing of nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. In early January, Iran's atomic energy organization announced that the country had succeeded in enriching uranium to 20 per cent at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. (ANI/Sputnik)