NEW YORK – Iran warned Saturday it is ready to “vigorously” resume nuclearenrichment if the United States ditches the 2015 nuclear deal, and saidfurther “drastic measures” are being considered in response to a US exit.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters in New Yorkthat Iran is not seeking to acquire a nuclear bomb, but that its “probable”response to a US withdrawal would be to restart production of enricheduranium — a key bomb-making ingredient.
“America never should have feared Iran producing a nuclear bomb, but wewill pursue vigorously our nuclear enrichment,” added Zarif, who is in theUnited States to attend a UN meeting on sustaining peace.
US President Donald Trump has set a May 12 deadline for the Europeans to”fix” the 2015 agreement that provides for curbs to Iran’s nuclear programin exchange for relief from financial sanctions.
Zarif’s comments marked a further hardening of rhetoric following a warningearlier this month from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that Washingtonwould “regret” withdrawing from the nuclear deal, and that Iran wouldrespond within a week if it did.
The fate of the Iran deal will be a key issue during French PresidentEmmanuel Macron’s state visit to Washington beginning Monday, followed bytalks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington on Friday.
Zarif said the European leaders must press Trump to stick to the deal ifthe United States “intends to maintain any credibility in the internationalcommunity” and to abide by it, “rather than demand more.”
The foreign minister also warned against offering any concessions to Trump.
“To try to appease the president, I think, would be an exercise infutility,” he said.
European leaders are hoping to persuade Trump to save the deal if they, inturn, agree to press Iran to enter into agreement on missile tests andmoderating its regional influence in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon.
– No one-sided deal –
If the United States buries the deal, Iran is unlikely to stick to theagreement alongside the other signatories – Britain, China, France, Germanyand Russia, said the foreign minister.
“That’s highly unlikely,” he said. “It is important for Iran to receive thebenefits of the agreement and there is no way that Iran would do aone-sided implementation of the agreement.”
European diplomats have argued that the deal could be salvaged without theUnited States, with a view to bringing Washington back in the fold at alater time, possibly under a new administration.
“The United States under the Trump administration has done everything itcould to prevent Iran from benefiting from this agreement,” Zarif charged.
The foreign minister warned of “drastic measures” under discussion in Iran.
Zarif declined to specify, pointing to “what certain members of ourparliament are saying about Iran’s options.”
Despite the threats of a tough response to a US pullout, Zarif also leftopen the possibility of diplomatic action during a 45-day period toformally notify the withdrawal.
“Whether other things can be done during those 45 days … is ahypothetical question that needs to be addressed at that time,” said Zarif.
A decision by Trump to walk away, he warned, would send a message to allgovernments “that you should never come to an agreement with the UnitedStates, because at the end of the day, the operating principle for theUnited States is, what’s mine is mine, what’s yours is negotiable.” – APP/AFP