Rouhani Says May Stay In Nuclear Deal after US Withdrawal If It’s Guaranteed By Remaining Parties
Local Editor
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani hinted that Iran could continue to comply with the 2015 nuclear deal even if US President Donald Trump pulls out of it. It would take guarantees of compliance from the remaining signatories.
In further details, Rouhani indicated on Monday that the disputed nuclear deal can still survive beyond a potential US withdrawal if the UK, France, Russia, China and Germany make up for Washington's exit.
"We have our own plan. Either what we demand from the JCPOA is fulfilled by the non-American [parties, and in that case] the US withdrawal will be the removal of a trouble, or we [will resort to] our legal and rational option... if what we expect is not fully accomplished," Rouhani explained, at a meeting in Iran's Mashhad, as cited by Tasnim News Agency.
Rouhani said it would be a "strategic mistake" on the US part to scrap the deal.
It was the first time Rouhani outlined the conditions under which the deal could stay alive after a Trump withdrawal. Previous statements by Tehran officials all suggested that such a move would automatically mean the end of the accord.
Earlier, Iranian foreign ministry's spokesman Bahram Qassemi said that leaving the deal "will be painful for the US and will end in remorse."
This step would deprive the US of all remaining credibility and "will result in further lack of the world's confidence in them," Qassemi said, as cited by IRNA.
Trump is to announce his decision with regards to the nuclear deal at 2pm local time [18:00 GMT] on Tuesday. Previously, he set a deadline of May 12 to either recertify the deal or re-impose the sanctions on Iran that had been lifted as part of the bargain, in return for Iran phasing out its nuclear program.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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