The United States should unconditionally return to the Iran nuclear deal as soon as possible and lift its sanctions on Iran and third-party entities and individuals, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

On the basis of a US return, Iran should also come into full compliance with the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, he said.

Wang made the remarks during a virtual meeting on Monday chaired by Josep Borrell, the European Union high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. It was attended by foreign ministers of parties to the agreement, the first event at that ministerial level in over a year.

The foreign ministers acknowledged the prospect of a return of the US to the deal and underlined their readiness to positively address this in a joint effort.

Wang Yi stressed that the JCPOA is now faced with a window of opportunity to get back on the right track as US President-elect Joe Biden has made it clear that the US has the willingness to return to the deal. But the agreement is also confronted by unprecedented risks and challenges given that the US continues to intensify its pressure on Iran

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Wang stressed that the JCPOA is now faced with a window of opportunity to get back on the right track as US President-elect Joe Biden has made it clear that the US has the willingness to return to the deal. But the agreement is also confronted by unprecedented risks and challenges given that the US continues to intensify its pressure on Iran.

"The US withdrawal from the JCPOA and its sanctions on Iran were the causes of worsening circumstances concerning Iran's nuclear program," Wang said.

He said that consultation on promoting an early return of the US to the Iran nuclear deal should be arranged at an early date by all JCPOA signatory nations.

Once agreement is reached, a multilateral meeting with the US as one of the participants should be held to start the process of the country's return to the deal.

The JCPOA was inked in 2015, between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council as well as the EU. In 2018, US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of the landmark deal and reinstated sanctions on Iran.

At the meeting, Wang called on all parties to settle disputes in a fair and objective manner during the implementation of the deal. While accusations and pressure will only weaken consensus on upholding the agreement, dialogue and cooperation can help to strike a balance in rights and obligations, he said.

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Inclusive dialogue

Since the comprehensive agreement is not a cure-all for regional security issues, Wang said that China proposed the establishment of a multilateral dialogue platform in the Gulf region to initiate an inclusive dialogue process and to continuously build consensus on regional security issues.

A joint statement following the meeting said the ministers considered that full and effective implementation of the JCPOA by all remains crucial, and that they discussed the need to address ongoing implementation challenges, including on nuclear nonproliferation and sanctions-lifting commitments.

The foreign ministers recognized the deal, endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, as a "key element" in the global nonproliferation regime and a multilateral diplomatic achievement contributing to regional and international security.

They reaffirmed that the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency is the only independent and impartial organization to monitor and verify the implementation of the deal's nonproliferation components.