Iran's Leader Warns on JCPOA: 'We Will Respond to Any Wrong Move'

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, accusing the United States of 'audacity and insolence' regarding the JCPOA, has warned that 'any wrong move in this matter will be met with a reaction from the Islamic Republic.' In remarks made on Sunday, September 17, during a graduation ceremony at the Police Sciences University, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also accused the United States of being 'against the scientific progress of the Iranian nation' and imposing 'oppressive sanctions' against Iran in response to this 'legitimate move.' He reiterated his claim about America's role in the creation of ISIS, adding that now that 'ISIS is on its last breaths,' the U.S. and Zionism are seeking other evils. Since the rise of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, Iranian officials have repeatedly claimed that the U.S. and its allies created and strengthened ISIS to harm the Islamic Republic. In this context, the Supreme Leader previously claimed that the opposition of Americans and some of their allied countries to ISIS is not genuine, describing them as 'not seeking to eradicate this group.' Meanwhile, the U.S. and the international coalition led by it are fighting against ISIS militants in both Iraq and Syria; although in Iraq, the U.S. is considered an ally of the government, in Syria, it supports a group of opposition fighters who are also fighting ISIS. Iran, which itself was targeted in an attack claimed by ISIS in June of this year, is fighting alongside the Syrian government against opposition groups, some of which are ISIS militants. However, the main focus of Ayatollah Khamenei's remarks on Sunday was the JCPOA, where the Supreme Leader referred to the 'accurate assessment of experts' regarding Iran's need to produce 'at least 20,000 megawatts of electricity from nuclear power plants' and added that the U.S. opposes this 'legitimate move.' Khamenei pointed to the sanctions imposed on Iran regarding this issue and stated that the U.S. has a 'tyrannical and bullying' approach in this regard. The Iranian leader said that 'the officials of the country concluded that they should negotiate and even give up part of their rights to lift the sanctions, but despite all agreements, commitments, and extensive discussions in the negotiations, the U.S. approach to these negotiations and their outcome is completely tyrannical, bullying, and oppressive.' He, who has previously accused the U.S. of 'betrayal regarding the JCPOA,' emphasized that for the Iranian nation, 'retreat has no meaning' and 'any wrong move by the oppressive system regarding the JCPOA will face a serious reaction from the Islamic Republic.' In the Supreme Leader's remarks, there was no mention of the details of the Islamic Republic's potential response, although Iranian officials have previously stated that they are considering various scenarios regarding a possible U.S. exit from the JCPOA. Donald Trump has been a serious critic of the Iran nuclear deal since his election campaign, and after taking office, he and senior officials of his administration have criticized the deal as being 'very bad.' Although the Trump administration has confirmed Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal twice in its reports to Congress, it has repeatedly expressed the opinion that Iran's 'destructive and destabilizing' behaviors violate the spirit of the nuclear agreement. This is because, according to the U.S., Iran is committed to participating in international peace and stability under the JCPOA, but actions such as 'pursuing ballistic missile programs,' 'involvement in escalating conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon,' and 'supporting attacks on Israel' contradict this. Several reports have indicated that Donald Trump, dissatisfied with his State Department's stance on the JCPOA, has tasked a team of trusted White House staff to prepare a 'potential case' to prove Iran's non-compliance with the JCPOA text. The upcoming U.S. government report to Congress will be presented in mid-autumn, and while the possibility of reaffirming Iran's compliance with the JCPOA or even the U.S. exiting the agreement remains uncertain, Russia has announced that it will ask the U.S. not to withdraw from the nuclear deal.