TEHRAN - A top Iranian diplomat who was involved in nuclear talks with great powers has said Iran is ready if anything happens to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly called the nuclear deal

The comments by Majid Takhtravanchi, the deputy foreign minister for European and American affairs, comes as U.S. President Donald Trump and his national security advisor have used threatening language against Iran in recent days.

“All sides’ obligations in the JCPOA are clear. Either the JCPOA is implemented or not we are ready for both situations,” Takhtravanchi told ISNA in an interview published on Saturday. 

U.S. President Donald Trump continued his bellicose posture toward Iran on Thursday, reiterating in a series of tweets his administration’s warning that Iran has been “put on notice” for its recent ballistic missile launch.

“Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile,” Trump wrote in a tweet shortly after 6:30 a.m. Thursday. “Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the U.S. made with them!”

In another tweet on Friday, Trump said, “Iran is playing with fire -- they don’t appreciate how ‘kind’ President Obama was to them. Not me!” 

On Friday the U.S. government also imposed sanctions on 25 individuals and entities which it claimed are connected to Iran’s missile program. Iran said the sanctions are against the UN Security Council Resolution 3321 which endorsed the nuclear agreement.
 
Takhtravanchi said, “We know what to do if the new U.S. government or any other government refuses to fulfill its commitments.” 

He added, “We are interested in successful and full implementation of the JCPOA and we are not seeking to violate it, but we have plans if its implementation is endangered.”

Iran and the 5+1 group - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany - finalized the text of the JCPOA in Vienna on July 14, 2015. On July 20, 2015, the UN Security Council turned the JCPOA into international law by endorsing the Resolution 3321.

The nuclear deal went into effect in January 2016.

NA/PA