No One to Trust US Anymore after JCPOA Exit: Iran’s Shamkhani
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani warned the US about the consequences of withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), saying no country will agree to enter agreements with the US anymore if it does scrap the nuclear deal.
"If the current US president does not accept the previous administration's agreement and commitments, no other country will ever be willing to negotiate or reach an agreement with the US because it is likely that next administrations will also refuse the current administration's promises," Shamkhani said at a press conference with Police commanders on Saturday evening.
He also described commitment to the JCPOA -the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany)- as a "historic test to evaluate the effectiveness of the logic of dialogue instead of conflict."
Success or failure of the multilateral nuclear agreement will test the efficiency of international bodies to solve various conflicts in the world through peaceful approaches, Shamkhani explained.
As regards Israeli plans for attacking Iran with US support, Shamkhani underlined that such a war would be impossible given the enemies’ awareness of the Islamic Republic’s capabilities.
"As the official in charge of the country's national security body, I am explicitly and confidently announcing that the possibility of a war (against Iran) is ruled out because of enemies' assessment of the Islamic Republic's political strength, its military and security preparedness in domestic and foreign aspects as well as their lack of determination, coherence and operational capability," he stressed.
US President Donald Trump in January set a 120-day deadline for US lawmakers and European allies to “fix” his predecessor Barack Obama's main foreign policy achievement or face a US exit.
Since the nuclear deal was signed in Vienna in July 2015, the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly confirmed Iran’s compliance with its commitments under the JCPOA.
In a video message released on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated that Tehran will by no means agree to renegotiate the JCPOA or add any new terms to it, warning that Iran will choose how to respond to a US withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
“If the US continues to violate the agreement, or if it withdraws all together, we will exercise our right to respond in a manner of our choosing. Bluster or threats won’t get the US a new deal particularly as it is not honoring the deal it has already made,” he said.