TEHRAN – The Russian Mission in Vienna has said that there is no alternative to the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Today 5 years ago FMs of China, France, Germany, Iran,Russia,UK and US with participation of EU High Representative concluded JCPOA in Palais Coburg in Vienna. It was designed to prevent military options and avert the threat of war. There is no alternative to the JCPOA,” the mission said in a tweet on Tuesday.

The nuclear deal was reached between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, Germany, and the European Union in July 2015 and took effect in January 2016.

U.S. President Donald Trump quit the nuclear deal in May 2018 and introduced the harshest ever sanctions in history on Iran as part of his administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran.

Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in January that the nuclear deal is the “strongest” and “most transparent” agreement on the planet.

“Britain, China, Russia are all still trying to keep the agreement in place because they recognize it's the strongest, most transparent, most accountable nuclear agreement on the planet,” he told CBS News.

Kerry said, “President Trump decided unilaterally to ignore all of our allies and move to get out of the agreement.”

NA/PA