Araghchi told Sputnik that the US must provide compensation for the losses that Iran has incurred over the last year due to Washington’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal back in May 2018.

“What we expect them [to do] is to respect the JCPOA, to compensate Iran’s losses […] and to respect Iran’s rights in the deal”, the deputy minister said.

He, elsewhere, denied accusations of Tehran being involved in the attack on the UAE-based oil tankers — allegations that were earlier leveled by the US national security adviser. He called the claims “ludicrous” and accused National Security Adviser John Bolton and “other warmongers” of plotting against Iran.

He further stated that certain people are trying to push the US into a war with Iran in a bid to attain their goals. The deputy minister noted that Iran is ready to defend itself against a war waged by the US, but would prefer to begin a dialogue instead.

“We are fully prepared for both scenarios […] War would be a disaster for everybody in the region. We hope that wisdom will prevail in Washington, that they do not make this biggest mistake in the region ever. But we are fully prepared for that scenario,” Araghchi said.

The deputy minister also reiterated President Donald Trump’s statement that the US does not want war with Iran, stating that Washington must first take steps to prove this claim.

“But what matters for us are actions, not words […] We expect them to take actions, words are not enough”, he said.

Meanwhile, Araghchi’s Russian counterpart, Sergey Ryabkov, is now in Tehran to talk over a host of issues, including the 2015 nuclear deal in the wake of US withdrawal.

In the joint meeting of the two deputy minister on Wednesday, also attended by a high-ranking Russian delegation and a number of Iranian officials, the two sides reviewed the latest bilateral and international developments, JCPOA and Tehran’s reduction of some obligations to the pact in the face of Washington’s pressures.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced it is closely following developments in the implementation of the deal, which was signed between Iran and the 5+1.

Russia has also called for holding a joint summit to deal with the matter.