Iran Minister Warns That Iran ‘may quit nuclear deal’ if Donald Trump…
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Araghchi, a deputy foreign minister, accused Mr. Trump’s administration of
violating the agreement by threatening to re-impose sanctions and said Tehran
could walk away from the deal if it did not begin to see economic benefits from
the deal.
“If we lose the JCPOA we would face another nuclear crisis that would be very difficult to resolve this time,” Mr. Araghchi said in London.
“I
don't think the deal can survive in this way, if the atmosphere of confusion continues, if companies or banks will not cooperate with Iran. We cannot stay in a deal in which there is no benefit for us," he said. “That’s a fact.”
The 2015 agreement between
Iran and Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States obliges
Iran to restrict its nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling
economic sanctions.
Mr. Trump
last month said he would refuse to extend relief from American sanctions unless
the European signatories to the deal agree to “fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal.”
He said he
wants Britain, France, and Germany to help rewrite the deal to prevent Iran
from resuming nuclear research and development in next decade, which it is
allowed to do under the current agreement.
Mr. Araghchi said the restrictions on activities like uranium
enrichment and centrifuge building were temporary “confidence building”
measures and that to suggest they should be made permanent was “ridiculous.”
“It would be a big mistake if anyone tried to link JCPOA to other issues,” he said. “You would just lose the JCPOA and make those problems worse.”
The role of the US is crucial because many European and British
businesses and banks are exposed to US regulations, making them wary of trading with Iran even if their own governments have lifted sanctions.
Mr. Araghchi was
speaking in London at the beginning of a visit to discuss the nuclear deal and
bilateral issues with UK officials.www.semperdiamondlodge.com
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