Hassan Rouhani: The Nuclear Agreement Now Exists Between Iran and Five Other Countries

Hassan Rouhani, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, reacted to the United States' withdrawal from the nuclear agreement by stating that Tehran must receive guarantees from the other parties to the agreement to ensure its interests are met. Rouhani's remarks were reflected in the ISNA news agency shortly after Donald Trump's announcement of the U.S. exit from the JCPOA, in which the United States was described as a country that 'has never adhered to its commitments.' He said: 'The Iranian nation has remained committed to its obligations, as acknowledged by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the Iranian government has fulfilled all its commitments under the JCPOA, but today we see who does not respect international commitments... The JCPOA was a multilateral and international agreement; it was endorsed by the UN Security Council and Resolution 2231, so the U.S. officially announced tonight that it does not pay attention to international commitments.' The Iranian President referred to Trump's decision by saying, 'A troublesome entity has exited the JCPOA,' and added, 'From this moment, the JCPOA agreement is between Iran and the five countries; from this moment, the 1+5 has lost one, and under these circumstances, we must wait to see how the six major global countries will act regarding this agreement.' The three European countries, Britain, France, and Germany, along with Russia and China, which form the other sides of the JCPOA, had previously warned against the unilateral U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement. In this context, the French President, the German Chancellor, and the British Foreign Secretary traveled to Washington to discuss this matter with Donald Trump. The aforementioned countries have also emphasized that they must confront Iran's missile program and its policies in the region, conditions that the U.S. President set for remaining in the JCPOA, but Iran has rejected negotiations on these topics. Rouhani continued his remarks by saying, 'In the coming weeks, we will conduct necessary consultations and coordination while negotiating with European countries, Russia, and China. If at the end of this short period we conclude that we can achieve whatever serves the interests of the Iranian nation with the cooperation of the five countries in the JCPOA, despite Trump's rude remarks tonight, the JCPOA will remain sustainable, and we can take steps towards stability in the region. But if we see that this is not the case, I will inform the people of our position in a conversation with them.' He described the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA as a 'psychological war' aimed at 'economic pressure' on Iran and told the Iranian people that 'they should not have any concerns about the future of the country' because Tehran 'had concluded weeks and months ago that Trump was not loyal to international commitments, including the JCPOA, and had made the necessary decisions for economic issues.' John Bolton, Trump's National Security Advisor, announced that under the new U.S. decision regarding Iran, no new contracts with the country are permitted, and European companies will have 90 to 180 days to cancel their current contracts with Iran. However, Rouhani stated that 'Iran's economic growth will continue, market stability will persist, and the necessary currency for the country will be well supplied.' He ultimately stated that he had instructed the Atomic Energy Organization to begin industrial enrichment without limitations if necessary, but Tehran would wait several weeks to negotiate with the countries that signed the JCPOA and remained loyal to it.