Leader Warns US of Iran’s Severe Reaction to Breach of JCPOA
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei underlined Iran’s commitment to a nuclear deal with the group of six countries, but made it clear that any violation of the deal by the US will trigger Tehran’s harsher response.
Speaking in a gathering of senior Iranian officials in Tehran on Tuesday night, Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated that Iran will never be the first side to violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a lasting nuclear deal between Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
“But” the Leader underscored “if the threats of tearing off the JCPOA made by the US presidential nominees are carried out, the Islamic Republic will set the JCPAO ablaze,” Ayatollah Khamenei added, making a reference to a divine order about mutual breach of commitments.
The Leader then explicated the pluses and minuses of the nuclear deal, noting that, however, the bulk of the advantages that had encouraged Iran to negotiate “have not been met” yet.
There are loopholes in the JCPOA, which could have been closed to minimize the disadvantages of the deal, Ayatollah Khamenei added.
As regards the US failure to honor commitments under the JCPOA, the Leader explained, “The duty of the other side was removing the sanctions, but it has not fulfilled that duty, meaning that it has lifted part of the sanctions in some way, but the sanctions have not been lifted practically.”
The Leader lashed out at the US for fully keeping the primary sanctions in place, which has in turn affected the secondary sanctions that were to be lifted.
Ayatollah Khamenei also called on the Iranian officials to avoid repeating the claim that the sanctions have been terminated under the deal, pointing to a range of problems that still exist because of US obstructionism.
While the US officials claims verbally that there is no obstacle to banking relations with Iran, they actually take measures that the international banks “would not dare to trade with Iran,” the Leader stressed.
Imam Khamenei noted that nobody should justify Washington’s serious breach of the deal in stifling the foreign banks’ interaction with Iran.
The Leader also touched on the US obstructive actions when it comes to insurance for the Iranian oil tankers, saying the US which is part of the “major structures” of insurance companies will not let that structure offer services to Iran.
Moreover, the Leader noted, Iran has still problems in having access to its oil incomes that have been blocked in the banks of other countries, since those assets are in US dollars and have been kept frozen due to US hostility.
Imam Khamenei then described Iran’s nuclear industry as an influential factor in boosting the country’s position, stressing that Iran should keep the ability to “return to the previous conditions” in the nuclear industry.
“Fortunately, the possibility of returning to the previous status has been maintained, and we can gain (the enrichment capacity of) 100,000 SWUs in less than a year and a half with the new generation of centrifuges if we deem it necessary,” the Leader explained, dismissing the notion that Iran is restricted.
The Leader finally called on the Iranian team tasked with monitoring the JCPOA implementation to be more vigilant and protect the Iranian nation’s interests in any case of the other side’s misconduct.