Iran vows tough reaction if JCPOA violated: Salehi
Iran will show a “resolute and tough” reaction to any violation of a landmark nuclear agreement it signed with the P5+1 group of countries in 2015, the Iranian nuclear chief says.
“In case of any violation of the JCPOA (the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), by the other side, Iran’s reaction will be resolute and tough,” Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said in an address to the International Conference on Nuclear Security in Vienna on Monday, Press TV reported.
He expressed regret over certain recent 'unwise moves and measures' by the US against the nuclear agreement, which was signed in Vienna in July 2015 and entered into force in January.
“Iran has so far remained committed to its obligations under the JCPOA and will not initiate the violation of commitments,” Salehi said.
He, however, emphasized that the JCPOA longevity depends on the fulfillment of commitments by other sides.
The AEOI chief made the remarks in reaction to a recent move by the US Congress, which Iran has stressed is a violation of the JCPOA.
Elsewhere in his address, Salehi expressed regret over the lack of transparency about more than 80 percent of nuclear substances which are used for military purposes and said Iran strongly supports any move aimed at creating a world free of nuclear weapons.
He called for the universal observation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and establishment of a Middle East devoid of any nuclear weapons.
The Iranian nuclear chief described as “unjustifiable” Israel’s refusal to join the NPT and said the regime’s military nuclear activities are a matter of serious concern and a threat to regional and international security.
Salehi also called for the protection of sensitive information about nuclear security issues, saying, however, “Measures concerning nuclear security must not weaken or overshadow international cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy.”
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