Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif chided US President Donald Trump for seeking to scrap the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and major powers, including the US, at Iran's expense`.
The US president has always wanted to "kill" the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Zarif said on his official Twitter account on Friday, Press TV reported.
"To avoid isolation, he's trying to blame it on Iran. Bad faith on top of US violating the letter and spirit [of the JCPOA]," the top Iranian diplomat said.
The US president on Thursday claimed that Iran was not "living up to the spirit" of the accord and said he thought it was a "horrible agreement".
"I don't think Iran is in compliance. I don't think they're living up to the spirit of the agreement," Trump said.
Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council—the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China—plus Germany concluded the deal on July 14, 2015, and began implementing it in January 2016.
Under the agreement, limits were placed on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of nuclear-related bans against the Islamic Republic.
The UN Security Council later unanimously approved a resolution that effectively turned JCPOA into international law.
However, the US Senate and Treasury Department have imposed new sanctions against the Islamic Republic and several Iranian companies and individuals in recent months over its missile program, which is not in breach of JCPOA.
Trump has been a virulent critic of the pact signed under his predecessor, Barack Obama, calling it "the worst deal ever", which is an unsubstantiated claim.
Trump's Skepticism a Pity
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday the Trump administration's skepticism about the "successful" nuclear deal was a pity.
Speaking in a meeting with students broadcast live by state television, Lavrov expressed regret that "our American partners" call the JCPOA into question.
"In the Trump administration, they continue calling these agreements wrong and erroneous, and it's a pity that such a successful treaty is now somewhat being cast into doubt," the Russian foreign minister said.
Lavrov's remarks come as the Iranian Parliament is set to vote on a motion that incorporates a host of retaliatory measures in the face of US "acts of terror" and "adventurism" in the region.
The bill, which was passed by Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission on Wednesday, is scheduled to be put to a vote in the parliament today.
