MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. The European Union has confirmed that the Iranian nuclear deal may still be revived, a senior Russian diplomat said, commenting on a recent meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

"We have repeatedly emphasized the lack of a sensible alternative to reviving the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - TASS), which was undermined through the unlawful actions of our Western opponents," said Vladimir Yermakov, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control. Referring to the December 18 meeting of the UNSC, he said: "During that meeting, EU officials confirmed that a draft comprehensive resolution on reviving the ‘nuclear deal’ is still on the table."

The Russian diplomat advised the American and European parties to the agreement "to make an effort and overcome their innate bias toward Tehran." "[They must] stop substituting their self-serving aspirations for the interests of strengthening international security and finally realize that they will fail to impose their will on the Iranian people," Yermakov insisted.

According to him, the United States and the European Union will be able to undo their reputation as ‘chronic violators’ of UNSC Resolution No. 2231 only if they resume compliance with all of its provisions and restore what he said was the well-calibrated balance of interests on which the nuclear deal was based.

"Otherwise, they risk discrediting themselves further and fully losing [the] trust [of other parties] in them," Yermakov concluded.