On Monday, a day before his meeting with Pompeo in Russia, Lavrov reiterated Russia’s stance, calling the American sanctions on Iran “illegitimate” during a news conference in Sochi, Russia media reported.
He said he planned to have a “candid” conversation with Pompeo about the issue and encouraged the European nations that remain part of the agreement to aid Iran.
Pompeo is set to make his first diplomatic trip to Russia on Tuesday to meet with his counterpart Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin.
On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the JCPOA and later imposed new sanctions against Tehran.
Following the US withdrawal, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.
The European Union has vowed to counter Trump’s renewed sanctions on Iran, including by means of a new law to shield European companies from punitive measures, but it has so far failed to do anything beyond making statements.