Ali Akbar Salehi made the comment in an interview with IRIB on Friday, adding “the 10-year extension of sanctions against Iran has been annulled by the US president, but if it is renewed and put into effect again, it will be in clear violation of the nuclear deal.”
About Iran’s possible reaction to the US recent move, he said “the Islamic Republic of Iran sees no need to make its (subsequent measures) public, but we have made the necessary predictions and are well-prepared to react (against ISA extension).”
He went on to say, “JCPOA has a technical and a sanctions-related aspect. We have no problems in regard to the technical aspect and are progressing well, but they are creating obstacles for us in regard to the sanctions-related aspect of the deal.”
“We are hoping that they won’t make it necessary for us to use the technical tool in countering their sanctions regime, because in that case they will definitely be the ones who lose,” he stressed.
“Our decisions will for sure be based on tact and sagacity, and not on emotional responses,” he said. “The key factor here is our national interests and national sovereignty.”
“According to the command of the Leader of the Islamic Republic, Iran will not be the one to take the first step in violating the deal,” Salehi stressed. “Yet, we are fully prepared to respond (if the deal is violated). We will do our best to preserve national interests and sovereignty so that no harm will be done to the nuclear deal.”
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