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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Iran says may quit N-deal

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TEHRAN: Iran warned on Thursday it will quit a landmark nuclear deal if President Donald Trump pulls the United States out of the accord, while also criticising European states over “concessions” to the Americans.


Trump has threatened to abandon the agreement when it comes up for renewal on May 12, demanding his country’s European allies “fix the terrible flaws” or he will re-impose sanctions.


The nuclear deal was struck in 2015 between Iran and Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, then led by Barack Obama.


Under the pact, sanctions were lifted in return for a commitment not to pursue a nuclear bomb, but Iran says it is not reaping the rewards despite complying with the deal.


“If the United States withdraws from the nuclear deal, then we will not stay in it,” Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign policy adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying by the state television website.


Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, also issued a warning on Thursday in an English-language video posted on YouTube. “If the US continues to violate the agreement, or if it withdraws altogether, we will exercise our right to respond in a manner of our choosing,” said Zarif. Zarif also criticised European nations.


The three European countries that signed the deal have repeatedly tried to persuade Trump not to abandon it.


French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday reiterated his commitment to the accord but admitted that it needed strengthening.


“I don’t know what the US president will decide on May 12,” Macron said during a visit to Sydney.


“I just want to say whatever the decision will be, we will have to prepare such a broader negotiation and a broader deal, because I think nobody wants a war in the region, and nobody wants an escalation in terms of tension in the region,” he said.


The Islamic republic has always denied it sought a nuclear weapon, insisting its atomic programme was for civilian purposes. Velayati warned against any move to try to renegotiate the 2015 deal.


“Iran accepts the nuclear agreement as it has been prepared and will not accept adding or removing anything,” he said. — AFP


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