The interim deal reached Sunday would alleviate the impact of Iran pulling out of the additional protocol, Grossi said. Iran has long held that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes, despite skepticism from the international community. "The United States need to establish its bona fides to come back to the nuclear deal," Zarif said in an interview with CNN earlier this month. "The United States is not in the nuclear deal, and the United States is not in the nuclear deal because of its own decision to withdraw, without taking the routes that were available to it within the nuclear agreement." JUST WATCHED Diplomatic stand-off on Iran nuclear deal Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Diplomatic stand-off on Iran nuclear deal 13:37State Department officials were careful to stress that their willingness to sit down with partners and Iran wasn't a concession or even the beginning of nuclear talks, but instead, was simply the first diplomatic step to figure out how to begin discussing issues of substance.

Source: CNN February 22, 2021 03:45 UTC