JCPOA to Survive without US If Other Parties Guarantee Iran’s Interests: President
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), will continue despite the will of Washington and Tel Aviv if other parties live up to their obligations and guarantee Iran’s interests.
“We are very glad that the Islamic Republic of Iran has remained fully committed to any agreement it has signed,” Rouhani said during a joint press conference with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Maithripala Sirisena, in Tehran on Sunday.
“At the same time, we are very sorry that the United States, as one of the parties to the very important nuclear agreement (JCPOA) approved by the United Nations, has violated the agreement and announced that it would withdraw from it,” he added.
The US move to leave the deal is tantamount to violating the principles of ethics, politics, the right path of diplomacy and international regulations, the president said.
He added though that if the other five countries that have signed the deal with the Islamic Republic implement it and give a guarantee that Iran’s interests will be served by the agreement, it will be preserved despite the will of the US and the Zionist regime of Israel.
In relevant comments, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei urged that any decision to keep the 2015 nuclear deal running without the US should be conditional on “practical guarantees” from the three European parties to the JCPOA.
During a visit to the Farhangian University in Tehran on Wednesday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said Iranian administration officials are faced with a “tough test” of safeguarding the Iranian nation’s dignity in dealing with the US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement.
As regards the administration’s decision to consider saving the nuclear deal with the three European parties -France, Britain and Germany-, the Leader voiced distrust of the Europeans, stressing that any plan to maintain the deal must come with practical guarantees.
Without practical and definite assurance, it is impossible to keep the deal going, because the Europeans are likely to follow the US’s lead, Ayatollah Khamenei warned.
The Leader then hit back at the US president for his “silly and cheap” comments on Iran that included more than 10 lies, saying US President Donald Trump “made a damn mistake” threatening the Iranian establishment and nation.
In a speech from the White House on Tuesday, Trump accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and seeking nukes before announcing the US withdrawal from the nuclear accord.
Following the controversial decision, Rouhani said Iran weighs plans to remain in the agreement with the other five parties, namely Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, provided that the remaining JCPOA parties ensure its full benefits for Iran.
In an open session of the Iranian Parliament on Wednesday morning, a number of lawmakers set fire to the JCPOA and to the US flag in a symbolic gesture of protest.
