Iran vows 'expected and unexpected' moves if US exits nuclear deal

World
Europe

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday Iran's atomic agency was ready with "expected and unexpected" reactions if the United States pulls out of a multinational nuclear deal, as US President Donald Trump has threatened.

"Our Atomic Energy Organization is fully prepared ... for actions that they expect and actions they do not expect," Rouhani said without elaborating in a televised speech, referring to a possible decision by Trump to leave the accord next month.

The deal reached between Iran, the United States and five other world powers put curbs on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump has called the agreement one of the worst deals ever negotiated. In January he sent an ultimatum to Britain, France and Germany, saying they must agree to fix what the United States sees as the deal's flaws or he would refuse to extend the critical US sanctions relief that it entails.

Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif pose before resuming talks in Lausanne, Switzerland March 16, 2015. /Reuters Photo

The White House said President Trump and his visiting French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will discuss the Iran nuclear agreement on Tuesday.

"The Europeans, E-3 in particular, have been working hard in trying to address some of our most important or prominent concerns having to do with Iran's ballistic missile program, for example, the sunset clause in the JCPOA and so on," a senior administration official told reporters on Saturday, referring to the agreement by its acronym. "That work is not quite done yet."

US disarmament ambassador Robert Wood said on Thursday Washington had been having "intense" discussions with European allies ahead of the May 12 deadline, when US sanctions against Iran will resume unless Trump issues new waivers to suspend them.

Iran has said it will stick to the accord as long as the other parties respect it, but will "shred" the deal if Washington pulls out.

"Iran has several options if the United States leaves the nuclear deal. Tehran's reaction to America's withdrawal of the deal will be unpleasant," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.

Source(s): AFP ,Reuters