LONDON – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned U.S. President DonaldTrump on Tuesday to stay in the nuclear deal Tehran signed with worldpowers in 2015, or face “severe consequences”, as other signatories steppedup efforts to save the agreement.
Trump has said that unless European allies fix what he has called “terribleflaws” in the deal by May 12, he will restore U.S. economic sanctions onIran, which would be a severe blow to the pact.
The other powers that signed the deal – Russia, China, Germany, Britain andFrance – have all said they want to preserve the agreement that curbedIran’s nuclear programme in return for lifting most sanctions.
“I am telling those in the White House that if they do not live up to theircommitments, the Iranian government will firmly react,” Rouhani said in aspeech broadcast live on state television.
“If anyone betrays the deal, they should know that they would face severeconsequences,” he told a cheering crowd of thousands gathered in the cityof Tabriz. “Iran is prepared for all possible situations,” he added.