Iranian President Vows Response to Any Nuke Deal Violation Amid New US Sanctions

Sputnik News

19:24 05.08.2017(updated 21:04 05.08.2017)

Tehran will take countermeasures responding to any potential breaches of the Iran nuclear deal, however it will never be the first party to violate the agreement, reelected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Iranian politician added that Tehran would not take steps to violate the agreement, but at the same time the country's authorities would not look at the potential violations of the accord by other parties to it without any reaction.

"The world should know that any breach of obligations under this international agreement would face a united response of the Iranian nation and the government," Rouhani said after the swearing-in event as broadcast by the IRIB TV channel.

On July 14, 2015, Iran and China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany, signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Tehran's nuclear program. The 2015 accord stipulated a gradual lifting of anti-Iran sanctions in exchange for Tehran's ensuring the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

Rouhani's speech took place soon after US President Donald Trump signed the bill passed by Congress on new sanctions against three countries, including Iran.

Earlier in the day, the inauguration ceremony of Rouhani, who won the presidential election in May, took place in Tehran. Officials from over 90 countries attended the event. Rouhani was reelected for a second term, gaining 57 percent of the votes – more than 50 percent necessary to secure the victory, at a May 19 presidential election.

"The constructive contacts with other countries, the enhancement of ties with the neighbors and the regional states, the increase of the level of cooperation with the friendly states, is not only the conscious choice but the necessity, related to ensuring the international security," Rouhani said in a public address after being sworn-in as Iran's president.

Taking about the situation in the Middle East, Rouhani pointed out that stability in the region could be reached only through dialogue. Iran prefers peace but is always ready to protect its people, Rouhani noted adding that the people's voice and not weapons was the main instrument of defense.

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