To Possible U.S. Withdrawal From JCPOA:
Rouhani Vows ‘Expected and Unexpected’ Reactions
TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- 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 U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to do.
"Our Atomic Energy Organization is fully prepared … for actions that they expect and actions they do not expect,” Rouhani said without elaborating in a speech carried by state television, 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 U.S. sanctions relief that it entails.
U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood said on Thursday Washington had been having "intense” discussions with European allies ahead of the May 12 deadline, when U.S. sanctions against Iran will resume unless Trump issues new waivers to suspend them.
Rouhani criticized Trump’s behavior and foreign policy, which have created uncertainty even among his own administration’s officials, saying the White House itself, the U.S. National Security Council, Congress and American people have no idea what will happen.
"All eyes are on this president’s Twitter page to find out what he dreamt of the night before and what he is going to do in the morning,” he said.
"Such an administration, which has caused concerns among American public and added to worries among people of the world, is unprecedented in the U.S. history," he said.
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 Muhammad Javad Zarif said in New York.
Iran's nuclear chief also said the Islamic Republic's response readiness will "startle" the United States should it decide to pull out of the multilateral nuclear agreement.
"We hope that the other side makes a wise decision and avoids carrying out an action that would cause a nuisance for itself and others," Ali Akbar Salehi told reporters on Saturday.
He added that Iran has repeatedly expressed hope that circumstances would never make it take "technical decisions."
Salehi once again reaffirmed Tehran's capability to resume enriching uranium to the 20-percent level in four days in response to a possible US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
"Once the establishment decides, we are ready like an army to take action," the Iranian nuclear chief added.
Salehi also warned Europeans against following in Washington's footsteps on the landmark nuclear deal, saying, "This means that Europe is not an independent body and is a satellite in the U.S. political orbit."
Rouhani said his government intended to prevent instability in the foreign exchange market after a possible Washington exit from the nuclear accord when the central bank this month slapped controls on markets in an attempt to unify the Iranian rial.
"This was a preventative blow against any American decision on May 12. They fully hoped to … cause chaos in the (foreign exchange) market. I promise to the people that the plot of the enemy has been thwarted, and whether or not the nuclear deal remains in effect, we will have no problem,” Rouhani said.
On April 9, Iran moved to formally unify the country’s official and open market exchange rates and banned money changing outside of banks, after its currency, the rial, plunged to an all-time low on concerns over a return of sanctions.
"Our Atomic Energy Organization is fully prepared … for actions that they expect and actions they do not expect,” Rouhani said without elaborating in a speech carried by state television, 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 U.S. sanctions relief that it entails.
U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood said on Thursday Washington had been having "intense” discussions with European allies ahead of the May 12 deadline, when U.S. sanctions against Iran will resume unless Trump issues new waivers to suspend them.
Rouhani criticized Trump’s behavior and foreign policy, which have created uncertainty even among his own administration’s officials, saying the White House itself, the U.S. National Security Council, Congress and American people have no idea what will happen.
"All eyes are on this president’s Twitter page to find out what he dreamt of the night before and what he is going to do in the morning,” he said.
"Such an administration, which has caused concerns among American public and added to worries among people of the world, is unprecedented in the U.S. history," he said.
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 Muhammad Javad Zarif said in New York.
Iran's nuclear chief also said the Islamic Republic's response readiness will "startle" the United States should it decide to pull out of the multilateral nuclear agreement.
"We hope that the other side makes a wise decision and avoids carrying out an action that would cause a nuisance for itself and others," Ali Akbar Salehi told reporters on Saturday.
He added that Iran has repeatedly expressed hope that circumstances would never make it take "technical decisions."
Salehi once again reaffirmed Tehran's capability to resume enriching uranium to the 20-percent level in four days in response to a possible US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
"Once the establishment decides, we are ready like an army to take action," the Iranian nuclear chief added.
Salehi also warned Europeans against following in Washington's footsteps on the landmark nuclear deal, saying, "This means that Europe is not an independent body and is a satellite in the U.S. political orbit."
Rouhani said his government intended to prevent instability in the foreign exchange market after a possible Washington exit from the nuclear accord when the central bank this month slapped controls on markets in an attempt to unify the Iranian rial.
"This was a preventative blow against any American decision on May 12. They fully hoped to … cause chaos in the (foreign exchange) market. I promise to the people that the plot of the enemy has been thwarted, and whether or not the nuclear deal remains in effect, we will have no problem,” Rouhani said.
On April 9, Iran moved to formally unify the country’s official and open market exchange rates and banned money changing outside of banks, after its currency, the rial, plunged to an all-time low on concerns over a return of sanctions.