BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iran's top military commander said Monday that Iran will quit the endangered 2015 nuclear accord if the United States reimposed sanctions against it, amid wide concerns in the international community following US President Donald Trump's failure to re-certify the deal.
WARNING AMID JITTERS
Mohammad Baqeri, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, said the deal should benefit Iran in the form of removal of Western sanctions. If sanctions are reimposed under other pretexts, Iran will "definitely" withdraw from the agreement, he said.
Achieved after months of diplomatic efforts, the international nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed by the five permanent UN Security Council members -- China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States -- plus Germany, and Iran, and endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council in 2015.
As per the agreement, Iran accepted nuclear restrictions in exchange for partial removal of sanctions.
However, President Trump said earlier this month that the United States could not formally certify Iran's compliance with the accord, alleging Tehran had committed "multiple violations."
Over the weekend, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran and reiterated that the commitments made by Iran under the 2015 nuclear accord were being implemented.
Amano also said that the JCPOA represents a clear gain from a verification point of view.
Iran will not be the first party to withdraw from the deal, Rouhani told Amano.
However, a country that has signed an international and multilateral agreement does not have the right to deal with it in whatever way it likes, Rouhani said, referring to the U.S. administration's treatment and interpretation of the accord.
OTHER VOICES
The Russian Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament, last week called for saving the deal.
"The Federation Council appeals to members of U.S. Congress with an urgent request to use all possible resources to prevent the emergence of this extremely dangerous situation," it said in a statement.
Russian senators fear the collapse of the deal would irreparably damage efforts to maintain the nuclear non-proliferation regime and hinder the settlement of similar nuclear problems.
Right after Trump's refusal, EU leaders voiced their commitment to the nuclear deal and its full implementation by all sides.
In a joint statement, the leaders of France, Germany and Britain said they were concerned at the possible implications of Trump's decision. They urged the U.S. administration and Congress to consider the implications for the security of the United States and its allies "before taking any steps that might undermine the JCPOA, such as re-imposing sanctions on Iran lifted under the agreement."
"We stand ready to take further appropriate measures to address these issues in close cooperation with the US and all relevant partners. We look to Iran to engage in constructive dialogue to stop de-stabilizing actions and work towards negotiated solutions," the statement said.
