MNA – European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini once again voiced the bloc’s support to the 2015 nuclear deal, saying that holding talks over the tensions between Washington and Tehran entails the preservation of the pact.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mogherini said the EU would support talks to reduce the tensions between the US and Iran, "but only if the current nuclear deal with Iran is preserved."

She stressed that the historic pact, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, is one of the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council that should be respected to the full.

“We will always advocate for the full respect by all sides of the UNSC resolutions and that includes the JCPOA,” she said.

Tehran and Washington have been locked in a bitter standoff since last year when US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 and reimposed its economic terrorism on the country.

The Trump administration has been making empty calls for talks, but the Islamic Republic stresses that as long as sanctions are in place and the US refuses to return to the JCPOA, negotiations will be meaningless.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday that the US will have to return to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal and stop its “economic terrorism” against Iran if it wants to meet for talks.

“The United States is engaged in an economic war against the Iranian people and it won’t be possible for us to engage with the United States unless they stop imposing a war and engaging in economic terrorism against the Iranian people,” Zarif said.

“So, if they want to come back into the room there is a ticket that they need to purchase and that ticket is to observe the agreement,” he said, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal from which the US unilaterally pulled out last year.

Meanwhile, President Rouhani said in recent comments that the key to “positive developments” is in the hands of Washington, saying as long as the US has not taken the first step to return to the JCPOA and lift all sanctions against Iran, the “door will remain locked.”