Iran vows to honor nuclear deal even if US pulls out

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Iran has decided to honor the international nuclear deal reached with world powers regardless of any probable US decision to withdraw from the agreement, the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said, Press TV reported on Saturday.

"If the United States pulls out of the agreement, but the rest of the countries stay committed – namely Britain, France, Germany, China, and Russia – then Iran would most probably stick with the commitments to the agreement," Ali Akbar Salehi said on Friday.

"I think our partners in this treaty have more to lose than we do" if the agreement falls through, Salehi was quoted as saying.

"The United States is trying to poison the business environment. It discourages big banks and companies from working with Iran," said Salehi, referring to Washington's new sanctions against Iran.

"It is fear-mongering. But in reality they cannot accomplish much," Salehi added.

The AEOI chief argued that the US refusal to waive Tehran's nuclear-related sanctions constitutes "significant noncompliance" with the nuclear deal on their part.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a live TV broadcast interview in Tehran on August 29, 2017. /AFP Photo

On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran would never breach the nuclear deal it signed with international community.

Rouhani said that the nuclear deal, also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in 2015 by Iran with the United States, Russia, Britain, China, France and Germany, was an important international accord.

"Today after the implementation of the JCPOA, we should not allow violating the deal," Rouhani said.

He pointed out that the International Atomic Energy Agency has verified Iran's commitment to JCPOA for several times, while the United States has not been fully committed to the deal.

"The US is trying to make a media campaign against international cooperation," Rouhani said.

Iran spares no efforts in establishing stability and security in the region, he added.

In the wake of the economic sanctions imposed recently by the US government led by President Donald Trump, there have been worries about a possible US termination of the nuclear deal with Iran.

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Source(s): Xinhua News Agency