Sputnik - Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif stated at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York that although he had no contacts with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, there are possibilities of engagement between Washington and Tehran in regards to the nuclear agreement in the future.





WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier on Monday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Tillerson would make a statement on the Iran nuclear deal shortly.
"There are no communications between myself and Secretary Tillerson," Zarif said on Monday. "It doesn't mean that there can't be possibilities for engagement with regard to nuclear deal — we have always been open."


Zarif added that all countries in the world should adopt a resolution to legally ban and get rid of nuclear weapons as a global safety measure.
"Two weeks ago we voted for a resolution to legally ban nuclear weapons for all," Zarif said. "US did not even participate in deliberations in [the United Nations]. I think that's the way — to rid the world of these weapons of mass nightmare.


A group of US Republican senators in a letter on July 12 called on Tillerson to reject certifying that Iran is fulfilling its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) regarding its nuclear program.


The JCPOA was concluded in July 2015 between Iran, the European Union and the P5+1 group of nations: the United States, Russia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and China. Under the terms of the agreement, nuclear-related sanctions on Iran were lifted in exchange for assurances Tehran's nuclear program would remain peaceful.