Quitting nuke deal could be option, Iran says

By Muhammet Kursun

ANKARA (AA) - Iran on Friday renewed warning that it could withdraw from the nuclear deal it signed with major world powers in 2015.

Abbas Mousavi, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, told Anadolu Agency that it is likely for Tehran to remain in the pact should EU countries abide by their commitments.

“But if we cannot be assured in this regard, it will be among the options to step out of the nuclear deal and take the other steps foreseen,” Mousavi said.

In May, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani threatened to depart from the deal within 60 days if Tehran's interests were not protected.

Iran is also prepared to resume its uranium-enrichment activities whenever necessary, according to the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency Ali Akbar Salehi.

Germany, France and the U.K. said they are determined to continue legitimate trade with Iran and regret the reimposition of sanctions by the U.S.

"We are expecting that the ultimate decision on the future of the nuclear agreement will come out of this meeting," he said, referring to a Vienna meeting Friday which convened the remaining signatories of the nuclear deal -- the U.K., France, Germany, Russia, China, and Iran -- after the exit of Washington last year.

"Whether Iran will remain in the nuclear agreement depends on the decisions to be taken at the end of this meeting."

Meanwhile, Brian Hook, the U.S. special representative on Iran, told reporters in London that sanctions on Iranian oil will continue.

"We will sanction any imports of Iranian crude oil... There are right now no oil waivers in place," he said.

On Wednesday, the UN warned that the U.S. decision not to extend waivers critical to the implementation of the landmark nuclear pact between world powers and Iran "may impede" the agreement.

Secretary General Antonio Guterres "encourages Iran to continue implementing all of its nuclear-related commitments despite the considerable challenges it faces," said UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo, also voicing regret at a number of retaliatory measures Iran has vowed to take unless it receives the intended benefits under the 2015 agreement.

Iran received billions of dollars in economic relief from economic sanctions in exchange for accepting unprecedented curbs on and inspections of its nuclear program.

But the economic benefits it has reaped have dwindled down amid the Trump administration's push to scrap the agreement in an effort to bring Iran back to the negotiating table to address not only its nuclear program, but other activities Washington considers to be destabilizing.