US cannot decertify nuclear deal unilaterally : Rouhani

Tehran Oct 14 (IANS) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Friday that US President Donald Trump cannot decertify Iran s international nuclear deal "unilaterally".

"Iran s nuclear deal is a multilateral deal and cannot be removed by the president of one country " Rouhani said in the live broadcast of the state TV following Trump s aggressive remarks on Iran on Friday Xinhua news agency reported.

"Trump s remarks showed that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is stronger than what he treated during his presidential campaign " Rouhani said adding that the US President failed to ally other parties involved in the clinch of deal with his policy over the nuclear deal.

The Iranian president stressed that Iran would respect the nuclear deal as long as its "national interests and rights are met."

"We have cooperated with the IAEA and will keep working with the UN body within our commitment " he said warning that "however if one day our interests from the JCPOA are not respected we will not hesitate to respond."

On Friday Trump announced that he had decided not to certify Iran s compliance with the landmark deal reached in 2015.

"Based on the factual record I have put forward I am announcing today that we cannot and will not make this certification " Trump said at the White House.

He also threatened that he might terminate the nuclear deal at any time.

The JCPOA was reached in 2015 between Iran and Britain China France Russia and the US plus Germany.

According to the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act passed by US Congress in 2015 the US government is required to recertify to Congress Iran s compliance with the nuclear deal every 90 days.

--IANS
pgh/