Rouhani says Iran won't let Trump rip up nuclear deal

Iranian president warns of unspecified repercussions if the US reneges on the accord.

By REUTERS
Iran President Hassan Rouhani at the Campidoglio palace in Rome, Italy, January 25, 2016 (photo credit: REUTERS)
Iran President Hassan Rouhani at the Campidoglio palace in Rome, Italy, January 25, 2016
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday he would not let US President-elect Donald Trump rip up a global nuclear deal, warning of unspecified repercussions if Washington reneges on the agreement.
Trump had said during campaigns for the White House that he would scrap Iran's pact with world powers - under which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear program in return for lifted sanctions - describing it as "the worst deal ever negotiated".
"The Americans will try to put us under pressure as much as they can. But we have to resist this and find answers and we will find answers," Rouhani said, during an address at the University of Tehran.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned against any changes to the nuclear deal after Trump's comments in June, and said last month that an extension of a US sanction regime would be viewed as a violation of the accord.
Rouhani echoed Khamenei's comments on the US Congress decision last month to pass legislation to extend the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) for 10 years to make it easier for Washington to reimpose sanctions if Tehran contravenes the nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
US President Barack Obama still needs to sign the legislation.
Rouhani said of the "pressure" from the US: "The most recent case is the extension of the ISA which is in violation of the nuclear agreement. If what the US Congress has approved is given approval by the executive, then it will be a flagrant violation of the JCPOA and we will react to it with the strongest possible means."
Analysts have said Trump's comments could signal a harder US line on Iran, a development that could in turn empower hardliners on Iran's political scene, including
Rouhani said he will attend the meeting of an experts committee on Wednesday to decide on Iran's reaction to what he called the US violation.