France says ‘worried’ about ‘delays’ to Iran nuclear deal

PARIS: France warned on Tuesday that further delays could stymie a revived nuclear agreement between world powers and Iran, with the West and Russia at loggerheads over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

"We are very close to a deal," but Paris is "very worried about risks that further delays could weigh on the chances", a foreign ministry spokeswoman told reporters in an apparent reference to Russia’s demands for extra guarantees.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has demanded written assurances from Washington that massive Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine will not affect its economic and military cooperation with Tehran.