Iran warns US it would regret quitting nuclear deal

TEHRAN

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on May 6 that if the United States quits the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers then Washington would regret it “like never before.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to abandon the agreement when it comes up for renewal on May 12, demanding his country’s European allies “fix the terrible flaws” or he will re-impose sanctions.

“If the United States leaves the nuclear agreement, you will soon see that they will regret it like never before in history,” Rouhani said in a televised speech in northwestern Iran.

“Trump must know that our people are united, the Zionist regime [Israel] must know that our people are united,” Rouhani added.

Rouhani said had plans to respond to any move by Trump on the 2015 nuclear agreement.

“We have plans to resist any decision by Trump on the nuclear accord,” Rouhani said in a speech carried live by state television.

“Orders have been issued to our atomic energy organization ... and to the economic sector to confront America’s plots against our country,” Rouhani told a rally in northeast Iran.

“America is making a mistake if it leaves the nuclear accord,” Rouhani said.

Britain, France and Germany remain committed to the nuclear accord but, in an effort to keep Washington in it, want to open talks on Iran’s ballistic missile program, its nuclear activities beyond 2025 - when key provisions of the deal expire - and its role in Middle East crises such as Syria and Yemen.

“We will not negotiate with anyone about our weapons and defenses, and we will make and store as many weapons, facilities and missiles as we need,” Rouhani said, reiterating a rejection by Iranian leaders of talks on Iran’s missile program which Tehran says is defensive.