Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami:

EU Not Different from US ‘When It Comes to Reneging on Pledges’

Rasa – Tehran's Provisional Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami warned that there is no difference between the European Union (EU) and the US government in terms of their moves to renege on their obligations and promises.

News ID: 437632

Date: 11 May 2018 - 23:03

RNA - Addressing a congregation of worshipers here in Tehran on Friday, Ayatollah Khatami pointed to a recent move by the US to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and said Iran should pay heed to lessons it has learned from the deal.

“The deal’s first lesson is that we should not trust in the enemies of God by any means,” he said, adding that the second lesson is that all enemies are alike.

“The European Union is not different from the US when it comes to reneging on pledges,” the cleric noted.

In relevant comments, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei urged that any decision to keep the 2015 nuclear deal running without the US should be conditional on “practical guarantees” from the three European parties to the JCPOA.

During a visit to the Farhangian University in Tehran on Wednesday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said Iranian administration officials are faced with a “tough test” of safeguarding the Iranian nation’s dignity in dealing with the US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement.

As regards the administration’s decision to consider saving the nuclear deal with the three European parties -France, Britain and Germany-, the Leader voiced distrust of the Europeans, stressing that any plan to maintain the deal must come with practical guarantees.

Without practical and definite assurance, it is impossible to keep the deal going, because the Europeans are likely to follow the US’s lead, Ayatollah Khamenei warned.

The Leader then hit back at the US president for his “silly and cheap” comments on Iran that included more than 10 lies, saying Trump “made a damn mistake” threatening the Iranian establishment and nation.

According to Tasnim News Agancy, in a speech from the White House on Tuesday, Trump accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and seeking nukes before announcing the US withdrawal from the nuclear accord.

Following the controversial decision, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran weighs plans to remain in the agreement with the other five parties, namely Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, provided that the remaining JCPOA parties ensure its full benefits for Iran.

In an open session of the Iranian Parliament on Wednesday morning, a number of lawmakers set fire to the JCPOA and to the US flag in a symbolic gesture of protest.

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