TEHRAN – The United States should act first to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal if it is sincere in its intent to return to the pact, Chinese state news said on Thursday.

In a commentary on the ongoing Vienna talks over the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Xinhua said the unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA and applied pressure on Iran, and set off the current crisis. Therefore, it is the U.S. that should act first to salvage the nuclear deal.

“Washington, if sincere in its intent to return to the pact, should act first, given its decision to unilaterally withdraw from the JCPOA and apply maximum pressure on Iran thereafter, setting off the current crisis,” Xinhua wrote. “The U.S. administration under former President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and unilaterally reimposed sanctions on Iran. In response to the U.S. moves, Iran gradually stopped implementing parts of its JCPOA commitments from May 2019. Therefore, in the quest for some real progress, Washington must take the first step by lifting all illegal unilateral sanctions against Iran and involved third parties.”

Xinhua noted that China shares the view of Iran and Russia that the U.S. should immediately and completely lift sanctions against Iran.

Removing all illegal unilateral sanctions is “the key to the success of the negotiations,” said Wang Qun, Chinese envoy to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna.

“The one who began the trouble should end it. The negotiations have entered a crucial stage, and steps by the United States are of paramount importance to the fate of the historic nuclear deal and future stability of the region and the world. It is time for Washington to shoulder its global responsibility by taking the first step toward a breakthrough in the nuclear talks,” the Chinese news agency concluded.