TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke by phone with his Norwegian counterpart Ine Eriksen Spreide.

The two foreign ministers discussed a variety of issues including the situation around a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Good discussion with FM @JZarif. Appreciate the dialogue with Iran on bilateral, regional & multilateral issues. Urged Iran to return to full compliance with JCPOA,” the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said in a tweet on Monday.

Spreide joined European and American diplomats calling on Iran to resume implementing its JCPOA commitments without referring to the fact that Iran is still in the JCPOA and it has only reduced its nuclear commitments in response to the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear pact.

Zarif said on Monday that it’s the U.S. that should return to the JCPOA because it has abandoned it.

“The US left & violated the nuclear deal. So it's the US that has to return & implement its obligations. President Biden has a choice: Break with Trump's failed policies, or build on his failures. Building on his failures will only bring further failure,” the Iranian foreign minister tweeted.

SM/PA