Iran may quit nuke deal if US imposes sanctions, Iran's president warns
By REBECCA MONTAG, REUTERSUpdated: AUGUST 15, 2017 10:05Iranian president Hassan Rouhani gestures during a news conference in Tehran, Iran, May 22, 2017(photo credit: REUTERS)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned of the possibility that Iran could drop out of the 2015 nuclear deal, according to an AFP report.The deal was made with a number of world powers and included the lifting of international sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program.Rouhani's warning, made in a televised address to parliament, said that Iran could abandon the deal within hours if the United States continues to impose sanctions.Iran's parliament voted overwhelmingly on Sunday to raise spending on its military and missile program. The vote was Iran's response to legislation passed by US Congress and signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month to impose new sanctions on the nation due to its missile program.Iran denies that its current missile program violates the 2015 nuclear agreement.In the address to parliament, Rouhani criticized US President Donald Trump, saying that he was "not a good partner.""The failed experience of sanctions and coercion brought their previous administrations to the negotiating table," Rouhani said in the speech."If they want to go back to that experience, definitely in a short time - not weeks or months, but in the scale of hours and days - we will return to our previous situation very much more stronger," he said.
