TEHRAN (FNA)- Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI)Behrouz Kamalvandi warned of the country’s reciprocal measures, includingacceleration of uranium enrichment, in case Washington discards the 2015nuclear deal.
“Contradictory reports surface on the endorsement or non-endorsement of thesanctions waivers by the US president and any of which will have differenteffects; but if the sanctions suspension are not extended, that wouldviolate the nuclear deal and naturally, the Islamic Republic of Iran willtake the necessary action,” Kamalvandi said in an interview with the stateTV on Wednesday.
He warned of Iran’s reciprocal measures immediately after the USpresident’s possible reluctance to sign the waivers. He also implied thatTehran would decrease cooperation with the UN nuclear agency.
Kamalvandi, meantime, underscored that Iran will remain committed to theundertakings that it had taken up under the safeguards agreement before thenuclear deal was struck.
His remarks came after AEOI Head Ali Akbar Salehi warned against thenegative consequences of violating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action(JCPOA) by the US, and said that the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) should take serious measures in this regard.
“The Islamic Republic may reconsider its cooperation with the UN nuclearagency in case of a US non-compliance with the landmark multilateralnuclear agreement reached between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia,China, France and Britain plus Germany) in 2015,” Salehi said in atelephone conversation with IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano on Monday.
He reiterated that if the United States does not implement its commitmentsunder the JCPOA, the Islamic Republic of Iran will take decisions that canaffect its current cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The US president delivered an anti-Iran speech on October 13, in which herefused to certify that Iran was complying with the terms of the JCPOA,reached under his predecessor, Barack Obama, and warned that he mightultimately terminate the agreement.
During his speech at the UN General Assembly on September 19, Trumpdescribed the JCPOA as “the worst and most one-sided transaction Washingtonhas ever entered into”, a characterization he often used during hispresidential campaign.
Trump must decide by mid-January whether to continue waiving US sanctionson Iran under the terms of the JCPOA.
Iran and the Group 5+1 signed the nuclear agreement on July 14, 2015 andstarted implementing it on January 16, 2016.
Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program inexchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed againstTehran.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned on Monday aboutpossible withdrawal of the United States from the landmark nuclear deal.
“The US president has taken many actions over the past year to destroy theJCPOA and it is even possible that the JCPOA would be dismantled in thenext few days through measures he seeks to take,” the Iranian diplomat said.
Araqchi further expressed Iran’s readiness for any scenario vis-à-vis theUS decision on remaining committed to the JCPOA or pulling out of it.
Since the JCPOA Implementation, the IAEA has been verifying and monitoringIran’s compliance with its nuclear-related commitments under the nucleardeal and has consistently verified the Islamic Republic’s compliance.
In a meeting with the IAEA chief in Tehran in October, Iranian PresidentHassan Rouhani stressed the importance of maintaining the independence andimpartiality of the agency and said Iran seeks to boost long-termcooperation with it.
Rouhani also emphasized the significance of showing respect forinternational regulations and treaties, saying Iran had repeatedlyannounced that it would not be the first country to walk away from theJCPOA, saying, “We will remain committed to the JCPOA as long as we areable to enjoy the benefits mentioned in it.”