Iran warns of sharp reaction if US renews sanctions

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that the renewal of the Iran Sanctions Act by the US would lead to a sharp reaction by Tehran.

The Iran Sanctions Act allows the US to sanction Tehran should the country fail to live up the terms of the controversial nuclear deal reached last year. Last week, the US House renewed the Iran Sanctions Extensions for another decade. The law was first passed by Congress in 1996 and was due to expire at the end of this year.

“If this extension is implemented and comes into force, it will certainly be a violation of the nuclear deal and they should know that the Islamic Republic of Iran will certainly show reaction,” Khamenei stated on Wednesday while addressing a gathering of Basij (volunteer) forces.

He did not elaborate.

Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, said the renewal of the law consists of a violation of the nuclear deal.

“In addition to breaking promises and defying its undertakings under the nuclear deal or leaving them incomplete, the US administration has turned the nuclear deal into a tool to pressure Iran again, and those (Iranian) officials engaged with the nuclear deal have explicitly confirmed this issue.” Khamenei charged.

There is widespread support in the Senate for the bill, which is set to approved in the near future.

Iranian legislators in a statement on Tuesday condemned the House vote and called on Tehran to adopt reciprocal moves.

By: World Israel News Staff
AP contributed to this report