“The path of diplomacy is still open but it is getting more narrow by the day; remaining signatories to the JCPOA should know that they have limited time if they are serious about saving the JCPOA,” he said.

Araghchi made the remarks in a 4-hour-long meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Ryabkov in Moscow.

Condemning US’s unilateral policies and Europe’s inability to fulfill its obligations, Araghchi added that “if Iran’s demands are not met, the Islamic Republic will continue scaling down its commitments according to Paragraph 36 of the agreement; nobody should doubt Iran’s determination.”

He also said Tehran welcomes any initiative which would lead to a peaceful settling of disputes, noting, “such an initiative is acceptable only if would be balanced and realistic and ensure Iran’s interests.” He then emphasized on the importance of the deal.

For his part, Ryabkov said that US withdrawal from JCPOA was a violation of UNSC Resolution 2231. He said that Russia supports the JCPOA as an achievement of multilateralism and continues its contacts with other signatories to the deal to save the agreement.

Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement about the meeting that “Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to fulfilling the comprehensive agreements made in 2015 and to strictly complying with the JCPOA obligations, taking into consideration the precise balance of interests and the principle of reciprocity that the JCPOA is based on.”

“The officials emphasized the common intention to preserve the agreements and support constructive initiatives and efforts aimed at sustaining integrity and providing for the long-term stable implementation of the JCPOA as well as de-escalation in the [Persian] Gulf region,” added the statement.

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Zarif is slated to depart for Finland on Sunday as the first station of his European tour which also includes Sweden and Norway.

This is while the United States recently imposed sanctions on Zarif in a bid to restrict his diplomatic power.

Hossein Gharibi, an assistant to FM Zarif, tweeted that despite sanctions, US media requests for interviewing with Zarif are ‘remarkable’. He wrote on Saturday that Zarif has held an open conversation with NBC’s Lester Holt which will be aired on Tuesday. “Remarkable number of requests for interview by US media these days. FM Zarif is NOT sanctionable.”

Tehran condemned US sanctions on Zarif, saying that the measure is a continuation of Washington’s bullying behavior and further proves that Trump administration’s claims on being ready for talks with Iran are empty.

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