Iran will abandon the nuclear deal with world powers if its national interests are undermined by the anticipated US withdrawal, a senior lawmaker says, adding that Washington cannot dictate policy to Tehran.
“We make decisions based on national interest. If wide-ranging sanctions are to be imposed after the US exit, there will be no point in the Islamic Republic staying in the agreement,” Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of Majlis National Security and Foreign Relations Commission, told ICANA in an interview published on Saturday.
He made the comments in response to US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, who last week said Iran will not pull out of the nuclear accord, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, because of its trade interests with Europe.
“The Europeans stay in the deal. Fine. They can have it. We can put our sanctions back on. Iran is not going to get out of that deal. They want the trade with the Europeans...They are not going to leave, but we don’t have to be a part of it,” Haley said at Duke University in North Carolina on Thursday.
Economic Benefits
Boroujerdi said Tehran signed the nuclear agreement mainly to have the sanctions lifted but if they are reimposed, it will definitely leave.
Washington’s ambassador is in no position to tell Iran what to do, he stated, adding that the country will maintain its trade ties with Europe as long as mutual interests converge, even if the deal is revoked.
US President Donald Trump gave the accord a final reprieve on January 12 but warned European allies and the US Congress they have to work with him to fix “the disastrous flaws” in the pact within four months or face a US exit.
Right to Withdraw
Echoing a similar position, Mojtaba Zonnour, who heads the Nuclear Committee of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said, “The JCPOA is a multilateral and integrated agreement, and if one party walks away from the deal, the JCPOA would cease to exist.”
Even the Europeans acknowledge that Iran has the right to quit the agreement in case the US get out because Tehran has fulfilled all its obligations under the JCPOA, the lawmaker said.
He added that Iran will continue to strengthen its relations with Europe on the basis of reciprocal respect and interest, calling on European leaders not to interfere in the country’s defense plans, particularly its missile program.
European governments have been struggling to appease Trump and keep the deal intact, with some European officials having raised concerns about Iran’s missile program and its role in the Middle East.
Tehran says its ballistic missiles are for deterrence and has dismissed charges that its regional role is destabilizing.
In addition, Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, spokesperson for Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Iran is prepared for all scenarios regarding the fate of the historic deal.
Any future decision would be in line with the policy to safeguard national interest and dignity, he was quoted as saying by ICANA.
