President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Thursday about the need to maintain “unity” in talks between Iran and the six world powers.
The two spoke in a phone call initiated by Putin and which came after months in which the two had not spoken at all, due to their disagreements regarding the situation in Ukraine.
"The leaders discussed the increasingly dangerous situation in Syria, and underscored the importance of continued P5+1 unity in ongoing negotiations to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," the White House said in a statement quoted by AFP.
"President Obama reiterated the need for Russia to fulfill its commitments under the Minsk agreements, including the removal of all Russian troops and equipment from Ukrainian territory," the White House added.
The phone call comes as Iran and the six world powers continue their nuclear talks, in an attempt to reach a final deal by a June 30 deadline.
The sides are in disagreement over many remaining issues and, in fact, two diplomats said last week that the sides are still apart on all main elements of the nuclear deal.
The comments are in line with ones made by a diplomat who had spoken with a Russian news agency and said the talks are “virtually stalled”.
Putin recently caused controversy with respect to Iran, when he signed a decree lifting a ban on the delivery of S-300 anti-missile rocket systems to Iran. He subsequently explained that his decision was motivated by Iran's drive to find a solution in talks over its nuclear program.
Washington voiced concern over the deal, but Iran hailed the decision as a step towards "lasting security" in the region.