Behrooz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, has said that Iran has the right to strike back if the U.S. is not going to suspend the sanctions.

In an interview with Xinhua published on Thursday, he said, “We are committed to our obligations and we are going to fulfill all our responsibilities.”

However, if there are any signs of infringement of the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran will consider its own options, he said.

“Something is very clear for us: as long as the other side continues to observe their responsibilities and commitments, we will, of course, respect this deal.”

“So far, the United States have tried to put pressures” on Iran, he said.

The U.S. has not respected several articles, such as article 26, 28 and 29 of the nuclear deal, he said, adding that it has contradicted its own commitments, which prevents Iran from the benefits of the removal of sanctions.

The nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was signed between Iran, the European Union, Germany and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia - in July 2015. The agreement went into effect in January 2016.

Under the deal, Iran is obliged to put restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for termination of economic and financial sanctions. 

So far the International Atomic Energy Agency has issued nine reports each time confirming that Iran is abiding fully to the terms of the agreement.

U.S. President Donald Trump, in a statement issued on October 13, refused to certify Iran’s compliance to the nuclear deal and asked Congress to decide about the fate of the nuclear deal.

According to Reuters, Congress passed the ball back to Trump by letting the deadline on reimposing sanctions on Iran pass. Trump must decide in mid-January if he wants to continue to waive energy sanctions on Iran.