Iran says will quit nuclear deal if US walks away

AFP  |  Tehran 

warned today that it will quit a landmark nuclear deal with world powers if pulls the out of the accord.

"If the withdraws from the nuclear deal, then we will not stay in it," Ali Akbar Velayati, to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying by the state television website.

has threatened to abandon the agreement when it comes up for renewal on May 12, calling it "insane".

has always denied it sought a nuclear weapon, insisting its atomic programme was for civilian purposes.

Velayati warned against any move to try to renegotiate the deal signed by and six world powers in 2015 curbing Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

"Iran accepts the nuclear agreement as it has been prepared and will not accept adding or removing anything," he said.

"Even if countries allied with the United States, especially the Europeans, seek to revise the nuclear agreement... one of our options will be withdrawing from the accord," Velayati added.

Britain, and -- the three European countries that signed the deal -- have repeatedly tried to persuade not to abandon it.

French had yesterday reiterated his commitment to the accord but admitted that it needed strengthening.

"I don't know what the US will decide on May 12," Macron said during a visit to

"I just want to say whatever the decision will be, we will have to prepare such a broader negotiation and a broader deal, because I think nobody wants a war in the region, and nobody wants an escalation in terms of tension in the region," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Thu, May 03 2018. 20:10 IST