Sputnik- Russia played an integral role in the creation of a multilateral front which resulted in the Iran nuclear deal, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – In July 2015, Iran and the group of six international mediators, consisting of the European Union, China, Germany, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, reached the JCPOA aimed at guaranteeing the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program. "Russia was, in fact, integral to the efforts to create a multilateral, unified front that brought about the Iran agreement," Kerry said during the World Economic Forum conference.

The plan required Iran, within one year from the day of its implementation, to remove all excess centrifuges and infrastructure from the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant and to transfer them to storage at the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant under continuous Agency monitoring. According to the deal, over 1,000 centrifuges can remain at Fordow for research and other non-enrichment purposes.

On January 16, 2016, the IAEA verified Tehran’s compliance with the JCPOA, opening way for Iran's return to the international oil market. The same day, the European Union announced that it was lifting sanctions against Iran.