Dmitry Peskov, the Russian president’s press secretary, said on Monday that Moscow stands for keeping the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, after the U.S. withdrawal.

“Russia, like practically all the nations, stands for keeping the JCPOA in place. We see no alternative to this agreement. We call on everyone to refrain from steps that might push Iran towards withdrawing this deal. We think that it would have adverse impacts and we condemn the United States for its withdrawal from the JCPOA,” TASS quoted him as saying.

Peskov said unlike the UN Security Council sanctions, Washington’s restrictions on Iran are illegitimate and run contrary to international law.

“There must not be an obstacle for us to continue our bilateral relations and trade-and-economic cooperation with Iran,” he explained. 

The Kremlin spokesman said that Russia is building mutually beneficial and quite close relations with Iran, which is playing an important role in regional affairs and in the Syrian settlement dialogue.

“It is absolutely illogical and inadmissible to turn a blind eye on Iran’s role,” Peskov noted.

U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the JCPOA in May.

Other signatories to the JCPOA - Russia, China, France, Germany and the United Kingdom - have repeatedly supported their commitment to the deal.