Vladimir Yermakov, the director general of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, said on Friday that a U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, does not necessarily mean the end of the deal.

“It might even be easier for us on the economic front, because we won’t have any limits on economic cooperation with Iran. We would develop bilateral relations in all areas – energy, transport, high tech, medicine,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

Yermakov noted, “If the United States breaks an international agreement backed by UN Security Council resolutions, it will be the United States that should suffer the consequences. Neither Iran nor China nor Russia nor the European states should lose out.”

Russia would continue to uphold its obligations under the deal, he added.

Elsewhere, he said that if the U.S. pulled out, there was no question of discussing new UN Security Council sanctions on Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump has given Europeans only 120 days to agree to an overhaul of the nuclear agreement and said if the text of the deal is not revised he would unilaterally withdraw the U.S. from it. The deadline falls on May 12.

Russia says any change to JCPOA is unacceptable 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that any change to the JCPOA is unacceptable.

Zakharova also noted that Moscow will continue to honor its commitments under the deal as long as other signatories abide by their obligations.

Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the U.S., UK, France, Russia, and China - Germany and the European Union struck the nuclear deal in July 2015. The deal took effect in January 2016.

The UN Security Council turned the JCPOA into international law by endorsing a resolution in July 2015.

NA/PA