Iran’s Supreme Leader said on Wednesday that Tehran will “shred” the July 2015 nuclear deal with the 5+1 Powers if the US withdraws.
Ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks are the most strident regime response to Donald Trump’s denunciation of the “embarrassing” agreement including the 5+1 (US, UK, France, Germany, China, and Russia). President Hassan Rouhani has said the Islamic Republic could also depart if the US leaves; however, his Government’s emphasis has been on remaining in the agreement while detaching the European Union and its nations from Washington.
In a speech to university students, Khamenei warned yesterday that this might not sufficient. He welcomed statements by the EU’s foreign policy head, Federica Mogherini, and European leaders — including a joint statement by UK Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel — supporting the agreement and reaffirming Iranian adherence. However, he continued: “But this is not enough for them to say that [Trump] should not tear up the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]. The JCPOA serves their interests.”
Applying more pressure both to Rouhani and to the Europeans,the Supreme Leader affirmed, “As long as the other party has not torn up the JCPOA, we will not tear it up”; however, if the US tore up the agreement, Iran would “rip it to shreds”.
#JCPOA benefits Europe. We won't tear the JCPOA up, as long as the other side doesn't, but if they do, we will shred it.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) October 18, 2017
Last week Trump decertified Iranian compliance with the JCPOA and announced sanctions against the Revolutionary Guards. However, held back by senior advisors, he did not declare US withdrawal and passed the issue of reimposition of wider sanctions to Congress.
Senior Administration officials said the US would seek a renegotiation of the JCPOA to include Iran’s ballistic missile development and to extend the 10- to 15-year terms of the clauses. Khamenei reaffirmed Wednesday that this was not possible, warning Europeans:
1st, EU should stand against US measures; 2nd, they should avoid meddling into our defense matters. We won't accept EU siding with US bully.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) October 18, 2017
France has already said that a renegotiation is not viable.
Khamenei said it would be “a waste of time to respond” to Trump’s lengthy portrayal last week of an Islamic Republic bent on destruction, support of terrorism, and denial of human rights, as these were “blatherings and nonsensical remarks by the foulmouthed US President”.
Then the Supreme Leader proceeded to do so: “The US is the agent of the international Zionism; the US is the creator of Daesh [Islamic State] and the Takfiri current; Do you expect the US not to be angry with the very force which is standing against Daesh? They are furious because the Islamic Republic has managed to thwart their plots.”
