Russian, Iranian diplomats to discuss Iran nuclear deal this Saturday

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif will be discussing the Iran nuclear deal on Saturday. The meeting comes in the wake of the US and French threat to scrap the deal.

The meeting comes on the sidelines of an extraordinary trilateral meeting of Russian, Iranian and Turkish foreign ministers on April 28 in Moscow. The trilateral talks will primarily focus on Syria.

Lavrov and Zarif will exchange views on current international and regional issues. The situation around the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear programme will also be on the agenda.

Russia has recently expressed concerns over America's and France's stance on the Iran nuclear deal JCPOA.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova noted the Iran nuke deal to be balanced in its mechanism that takes into account the interests of all its participants. She further added that the destruction of this fragile balance of interests can lead to serious consequences for international security. 

Zakharova reiterated Russia's commitment toward fulfiling its obligations under the JCPOA "as long as other participants remain committed to it".

JCPOA was signed in Vienna by Iran and six other countries including Russia, the US, Britain, China, France and Germany on July 14, 2015. The deal was signed to solve the long-standing problem of Iran's nuclear programme.

US President Donald Trump recently threatened to pull out of the JCPOA. His decision is likely to be made public on May 12.