Takht Ravanchi: If the US Moves Towards Violating the JCPOA, We Will Not Stand Idly By

The Deputy Minister for Europe and America at Iran's Foreign Ministry warned that if Donald Trump signs the US House of Representatives' bill to extend the 'D'Amato' plan, the Islamic Republic 'will not stand idly by.' Majid Takht Ravanchi, in an interview with the 'Al-Alam' news network, also deemed any sanctions imposed by the US against Iran as 'unacceptable' and assessed them as 'contrary' to the JCPOA agreement. According to Mr. Takht Ravanchi, if the 'D'Amato' plan is also approved by the Senate and signed by the President, Tehran will consider this action a 'fundamental blow to the JCPOA.' The 'D'Amato' is a law that the US government passed in 1996 to sanction Iran. Under this law, companies that invest more than forty million dollars in Iran within a year will be barred from trading with the US government. The US House of Representatives recently extended this law for another ten years, and in response to this action, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, deemed the actions of the US representatives as a violation of the nuclear agreement. The Obama administration had previously requested that the US Congress delay the extension of this law in light of the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, but Donald Trump, the elected President of the US, is fundamentally opposed to the nuclear deal. Majid Takht Ravanchi also stated that Tehran has 'various scenarios' for the post-JCPOA violation period, but is currently waiting for the decision of the new US President. The Deputy Minister for Europe and America criticized the current US government's performance regarding the JCPOA, adding that the US has shown 'bad faith' in this regard. He likened the JCPOA to a 'scale' that 'must constantly maintain balance' and stated that 'it makes no sense for only one side to adhere to its commitments.' This Iranian Foreign Ministry official noted the 'fear' of major foreign banks from US judicial authorities as one example of the 'bad faith' shown by the Obama administration in fulfilling its commitments. He said, 'It is unreasonable for the Americans to think that we should fulfill our commitments while they do not have to.' Donald Trump had previously stated during his election campaign that he would tear up the nuclear agreement if he won the election. Ali Khamenei also responded at that time by saying, 'If the Americans tear up the JCPOA, we will burn it.' Iranian officials have also stated that the JCPOA is a multilateral agreement that the US is obliged to implement. The European Union, which has been a party to this 'historic' agreement, has assured that the nuclear agreement with Iran is not a bilateral agreement between Tehran and Washington that Donald Trump, as President of the US, can overturn.