Tehran, October 14 (RHC)-- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has slammed the U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to decertify the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA, with Tehran as “delusional”.
“Mr. Trump’s remarks on Iran…contained nothing but a pile of delusional allegations against the Iranian nation,” Rouhani said in a televised speech.
Rouhani urged Trump to brush up on his world history and geography in order to improve his understanding of international obligations and global ethics, etiquette and conventions.
"He has to study history better and more closely and know what they (U.S. officials) have done to the Iranian people over the past sixty-something years and how they have treated the people of Iran during the past 40 years after the victory of the (Islamic) Revolution (in 1979)," the Iranian leader said.
Rouhani added that Washington "is more isolated than ever" and cannot change the nuclear deal unilaterally.
In his announcement, Trump said he had chosen not to certify Tehran is complying with the pact but would not immediately withdraw from it.
He pushed the issue to the U.S. Congress, which has 60 days to decide whether to reinstate U.S. sanctions.
Iran has vowed to retaliate against the measure.
“Any move against the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, will be met with Iran’s fitting and strong response,” Iran's Foreign Ministry had said earlier in a statement.
"Our missiles are for our defense and we have always endeavored for the production of our weapons and we will redouble our efforts from now on and will continue enhancing our defense," Rouhani also said, questioning the United States’ provision of arms to "aggressive countries" such as Saudi Arabia.
Russia responded to the news by confirming its support for Iran and the nuclear deal.
"We took with regret the US president’s refusal to re-certify the Iran nuclear deal,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. “We hope this step will have no adverse impacts on the implementation of the deal but it is obvious that it runs counter to the spirit and the letter of the JCPOA.”
The 2015 agreement was drawn up between the administration of the former U.S. President Barack Obama and top officials from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, China, the European Union and Iran.
The international community agreed to lift longtime, economic sanctions on the Iranian government and its citizens, in exchange for the country’s gradually-decreased production of enriched uranium and weapons-grade plutonium. The International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, would oversee Iran’s compliance with the agreement.
All other signatories to the deal have pushed for its continuation and have confirmed Iran's compliance.
Since his candidacy, Trump said he would take the United States out of the JCPOA.
In a recent statement, the White House alleged that “in regard to JCPOA itself, the Iranian regime has displayed a disturbing pattern of behavior, seeking to exploit loopholes and test the international community’s resolve."
The White House also claimed that Iranian leaders are saying they will prevent IAEA inspections. Trump's administration has yet to bring such evidence forward, and the IAEA itself has maintained that Iran is in full compliance with the deal.
