Iran plots next move under nuclear deal after US withdrawal

Rouhani described the US’ presence in the nuclear deal as “a nuisance,” and said Iran would determine the deal’s fate in the coming weeks.

By: World Israel News Staff

President Hassan Rouhani ordered Iran’s Foreign Ministry to consult with the remaining signatory countries within the next few weeks regarding the nuclear deal’s future in light of the US’ withdrawal. Specifically, Iran must decide whether to stay in the deal or drop it completely.

Speaking on Iranian TV minutes after President Donald Trump announced the US’ exit from the Iran nuclear deal and the immediate re-imposition of sanctions against Tehran, Rouhani asserted that the nuclear deal is now an agreement between Iran and the five remaining countries.

Going on the offensive, Rouhani described the US presence in nuclear deal as “a nuisance,” and claimed that Washington had not fulfilled its obligations under the pact “from the beginning.”

He also asserted that the US “aims to pressure Iran with psychological and economic war, but it will fail to do so,” claiming that the US’ withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will “unite the Iranian nation and will promote their commitment.”

Rouhani said that his government has taken required measures and the US decision will not cause major problems for Iran’s economy, a contention that flies in the face of the current economic crisis facing his nation which is one of the worst in its history.

“I have also ordered Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to go ahead with adequate preparations to resume enrichment at the industrial level without any limit,” Rouhani stated.

He said that fate of the nuclear deal “depends on our national interests,” noting that if Iran’s interests in the JCPOA are guaranteed without the US presence, Iran will stay in the deal.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani lashed out at Washington for leaving the 2015 nuclear deal, saying the US “merely understands the language of force.”

“The UN and the UNSC approved the nuclear deal, but the Americans took wrong actions since the very first day [of its implementation[ both under Obama and Trump, and they continuously intimidated the investors [about investment in Iran]” Larijani said in a meeting with a Brazilian parliamentary delegation in Tehran on Tuesday.

“The Americans have not complied with their undertakings and created distrust on the international scene, an issue that even the Europeans have admitted; therefore, apparently one should speak with the Americans through the language of force and there is no other solution,” Larijani said.