The Kremlin is warning that a U.S. move to slight the Iran nuclear deal would hurt global security.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that spiking the deal "would undoubtedly hurt the atmosphere of predictability, security, stability and non-proliferation in the entire world."
Peskov spoke hours before U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to deliver a speech harshly criticizing the 2015 nuclear accord. Trump is not expected to announce that the U.S. is withdrawing from the deal, but he will urge U.S. lawmakers to codify tough new requirements for Tehran to continue to benefit from the sanctions relief.
The initial agreement involved the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China.
Peskov said that the U.S. move against the nuclear deal would have "very negative consequences" and "seriously exacerbate the situation around the Iranian nuclear dossier." He added that Iran has warned that it would respond by opting out of the deal.
Russia will continue its policy to ensure non-proliferation, Peskov said.
The statement came as Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said Friday in a visit to Russia that any U.S. move against a nuclear deal with Iran would be an insult to the United Nations.
Larijani spoke hours before U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech expected to contain harsh criticism of the 2015 nuclear accord and Iran's activities that troubled Washington and its allies.
The agreement offered Iran relief from crippling economic sanctions in exchange for strict limits on its nuclear program. It was painstakingly negotiated by then-President Barack Obama's administration and also involved a coalition of world powers including Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China.
Larijani said the accord has received a U.N. blessing, so any move to spike it would represent an "primarily an insult to the U.N." He added that any revision of the deal would allow Iran to take its own actions, and warned that the U.S. move could destabilize the international situation.
"We will continue to adhere to our obligations ... for as long as other parties observe the agreement," he said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies.