US’ Decision to Withdraw from Nuclear Deal “Like Shooting in Its Leg”: Russian Envoy

In a tweet early on Wednesday, the Russian diplomat was responding to an American journalist who criticized the Trump administration’s decision to leave the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Indeed! The decision to withdraw from #JCPOA was like shooting in one of US legs. It doesn’t matter if it was left or right leg. https://t.co/yYqs6K15lS

— Mikhail Ulyanov (@Amb_Ulyanov) 

Iran and the five remaining parties to the JCPOA — Germany, Britain, France, Russia and China — began the talks in the Austrian capital in April with the aim of reviving the deal after the US, under President Joe Biden, voiced its willingness to return to the agreement.

During the first round of the Vienna talks under President Raisi, Iran presented two draft texts which address, separately, the removal of US sanctions and Iran’s return to its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA. Tehran also said it was preparing a third draft text on the verification of the sanctions removal.