Politics

Deputy Foreign Minister Threatens Iran’s Withdrawal From Nuclear Deal

Christian Datoc Senior White House Correspondent
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Iranian deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi appeared to signal Monday the country’s imminent withdrawal from the nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration in 2015.

“The Iran nuclear deal is no longer sustainable for Iran in its present form, without regard to a US exit,” Araghchi stated Monday, according to the Iranian Students News Agency.

Araghci added that Iran is “preparing all necessary options for any scenario.”

The deputy foreign minister’s comments came just before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech claiming that Iran had been in violation of the nuclear deal.

“First, Iran lied about never having a nuclear weapons program; 100,000 secret files proved that they lied,” Netanyahu argued. “Second, even after the deal, Iran continued to preserve and expand its nuclear weapons knowhow for future use. Why would a terrorist regime hide and meticulously catalog its secret nuclear files if not to use them at a later date. Third, Iran lied again in 2015 when it didn’t come clean to the IAEA as required by the nuclear deal.”

WATCH:

President Trump added at a Monday joint press conference with President Buhari of Nigeria that he was considering withdrawing from the nuclear deal, a point he has consistently made since beginning his presidential campaign in 2015.

Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif heavily criticized Trump following the conclusion of his Monday remarks.

“Pres. Trump is jumping on a rehash of old allegations already dealt with by the IAEA to ‘nix’ the deal,” he wrote. “How convenient. Coordinated timing of alleged intelligence revelations by the boy who cries wolf just days before May 12.”

“Trump’s impetuousness to celebrate blew the cover.”

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