MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. Russia does not believe that the UN Security Council could renew sanctions against Tehran, which had been in place until the Iran nuclear deal was signed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Moscow Nonproliferation Conference on Friday.

"The return to a situation, which was before the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, is impossible," Lavrov said. "There can be no talk on the renewal of the UN Security Council’s sanctions."

Russia’s top diplomat stressed that only the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as the only UN body in charge of carrying out regular checks in Iran, can confirm that they meet all their commitments. Lavrov voiced hope that "together we will manage to preserve and fulfill the potential of the plan of action."

"It is evident that the failure of the JCPOA, moreover due to the fault of one of its active participants, and in fact the leader of the 5+1 group, became an alarming signal for the entire architecture of international security, including the prospect of resolving the crisis on the Korean Peninsula," he said.

Last week, Trump unveiled Washington’s new strategy against Tehran, saying that the United States will seek to offset Iran’s destabilizing influence. Besides, the US included the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite branch of Iran’s Armed Forces, into the list of organizations supporting terrorism.

The deal on Iran’s nuclear program was reached between Iran and six international mediators (the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Russia, the United States, and France) on July 14, 2015. On January 16, 2016, the parties to the deal announced beginning of its implementation. Under the deal, Iran undertakes to curb its nuclear activities and place them under total control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in exchange of lifting the sanctions imposed previously by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union and the United States over its nuclear program.