TEHRAN – A top Iranian nuclear official has reiterated Tehran’s long-held position that the Islamic Republic is ready to return to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear agreement if the other parties honor its rights.

“We have always emphasized that these commitments are reversible, provided that the rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran are not overlooked,” Behrouz Kamalvandi, the nuclear spokesman and the deputy nuclear chief for international and legal affairs, said in an interview on the occasion of the Persian New Year (Nowruz).

The United States under Donald Trump quit the agreement in May 2018 and returned sanctions under his maximum pressure policy against Iran. The European side also failed to compensate Iran for the U.S. exit.

Under the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran agreed to put limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for termination of economic and financial sanctions.

Iran remained fully loyal to the terms of the agreement even one year after the U.S. withdrawal from the multilateral agreement.  However, in May 2019, Iran announced that its “strategic patience” is over and started to gradually remove limits on its nuclear activities. At the same Iran announced that if the Europeans honor their obligations Iran is ready to reverse its nuclear steps. However, the Europeans did nothing.

Now Iran is blamed for the current situation and there is a speculation by certain Western media outlets and accusations by the Zionist Israeli regime and certain Western countries, especially the U.S., that Iran intends to build nuclear arms.

“We are accused of having non-peaceful activities, while Iran is under the most extensive inspections (by the International Atomic Energy Agency). Perhaps no country is monitored as closely as we are,” Kamalvandi stated, adding, “Despite having a transparent program, unfortunately, there are statements made in the media that we do not deserve.”

Though the United States had withdrawn from the multilateral nuclear agreement and the Europeans did not fulfill their obligations, they expected Iran to remain idly by.

“After the United States withdrew from the JCPOA, the greatest pressures were directed at Iran. They tried to portray it as if the Islamic Republic was to blame for this situation; while everyone knows that if the Islamic Republic of Iran has suspended part of its commitments based on Articles 26 and 36 (of the JCPOA), it is related to the non-fulfillment of commitments by the other party, and there is no choice but to act accordingly,” he explained

The nuclear spokesman went on to say that Iran is unwavering in defending its nuclear rights.

“In any case, the Islamic Republic of Iran is firm and resolute in defending its rights. We hope that Western countries, which have tested Iran numerous times, have come to realize that pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran is not effective and may even have the opposite effect.”

The nuclear official added the no country has the right to speak with a “language of force” against Iran.

"You cannot speak to a great nation like Iran, which has a history of several thousand years, with a language of force.”