Leader's Top Aide Ensures Iran's Firm Response to US Violation of N. Deal

Rasa - Iranian Supreme Leader's top aide Ali Akbar Velayati, who is also a ranking member of Iran's nuclear deal monitoring commission, underlined that Tehran will show a firm reaction to Washington's violation of the last year nuclear deal.

News ID: 425708

Date: 12 December 2016 - 17:34

RNA - "The extending the sanctions in the US Senate and Congress is no different from imposing the extended sanctions, and it will not remain unanswered," Velayati told reporters in Tehran on Monday.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has no doubt complied with its undertakings based on the nuclear deal, but the Americans have not kept their promises in the economic field (as stated in the nuclear deal)," he added.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will certainly give a proper and firm response to the extension of the sanctions," Velayati reiterated, adding that decisions have been made about how and what Tehran's responses should be to the violation of the nuclear deal, although he said its details cannot be revealed yet.

In relevant remarks earlier this month, he warned that the US president's endorsement of the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA), recently approved by the Senate, will meet Tehran's firm response.

"Members of the monitoring commission unanimously agree that if the extension of sanctions act is signed by the US president, it will violate the nuclear deal and certainly the Islamic Republic of Iran will give an appropriate, clear and firm response to it," Velayati said in a press conference in Tehran.

He said that the commission will decide about Iran's response to Washington's violation of the nuclear deal.

His remarks came after the US Senate voted to the extension of the Iran Sanctions Act that clearly violates the last year nuclear deal. The approval now waits for US President Barack Obama's endorsement. Iranian officials have warned that Tehran has prepared itself for showing a tough reaction.

Also earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi underlined the necessity for all parties to the last year nuclear deal to remain committed to their undertakings.

"The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is a multilateral document approved by the UN Security Council and internal developments of countries shouldn’t distort it," Wang said during the meeting in Beijing.

At the meeting, the two high-ranking officials also underlined the necessity for other members of the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) to remain fully committed to the Vienna nuclear deal signed with Tehran last year.

They also emphasized serious fight against terrorism and mutual cooperation in this regard.

Before Zarif, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned the US of Tehran's firm response to the implementation of the Iran Sanctions Act whose extension for another 10 years was approved by the Senate earlier this month and waits for President Barack Obama's endorsement.

"As stressed by Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Khamenei), the Islamic Republic of Iran has and will never violate the nuclear deal; we are committed to our undertakings and I, as the president and head of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), declare clearly that we will not bear violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by any members of the G5+1 and will respond it properly," President Rouhani said in Tehran, addressing the Iranian MPs in a session to submit the next year budget plan to the parliament for approval.

Stressing that the US congress's extension of the ISA is against the JCPOA, he said, "The US president is required to use his authorities and prevent its approval and specially implementation. I declare clearly that if the approval is implemented, it will clearly violate the nuclear deal and will be followed by our firm response; we even consider its endorsement by the US president against the US undertakings and it will face appropriate reaction."

Also, late November, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei had warned that implementation of the extended Iran sanctions law for another 10 years would be equal to the violation of the nuclear agreement reached between Tehran and the six world powers in July 2015.

"There were a lot of debates about sanctions in the nuclear talks, but now they raise the issue of extending the sanctions in the US Congress and claim that these are not sanctions but renewal (of earlier sanctions)," the Supreme Leader said in a meeting with a group of Iranian Navy commanders and officials in Tehran on the occasion of the National Navy Day.

Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the nuclear talks with the world powers, and said, "Initiating sanctions is no different from renewing them after their expiry date, as the latter is also (an instance of imposing) sanctions and a violation of the undertakings already taken up by the opposite side."

847/940