TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that Iran will not give U.S. President Donald Trump a “gift” by exiting the nuclear agreement.

Exiting the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, is always on the table, however Iran will not take such move when the “main and official parts of the JCPOA are still working”, Zarif said in an interview with the Iran newspaper published on Sunday.

The UN Security Council’s resolution has recognized Iran’s right to exit the JCPOA, because the deal was wrote based on “mutual distrust”, he added.

However, the chief diplomat, said Iran should decide whether remaining in the deal is beneficial or not.

He noted that the European countries seek to remain in the deal and gain its benefits and do not want the U.S. decide for them.

Europeans have adopted positive approach toward the pact during the past months and Iran’s decision depends highly on the European countries’ “behavior”, Zarif remarked.

Iran, the European Union, Germany and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia - finalized the text of the JCPOA on July 14, 2015. 

On July 20, 2015, the UN Security Council turned the JCPOA into international law by endorsing a resolution.

The deal took effect on January 16, 2016.

In a statement issued by Helga Schmid, the EU’s deputy political director, on July 21 meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission, all parties to the nuclear deal confirmed adherence to the JCPOA.

NA/PA