TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that Iran will “burn” the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action if the U.S. “tears it up.”

“We will not violate the JCPOA; however, if the other side violates it, as the U.S. presidential candidates are threatening to tear up the JCPOA, we will burn it,” he said during a meeting on Tuesday with the heads of the three branches of the government and other ranking officials of the country.

According to Reuters, Republican candidate Donald Trump said last August it would be hard to “rip up” the deal, but if elected president he would “police that contract so tough they don’t have a chance.”

“The Islamic Republic won’t be the first to violate the nuclear deal. Staying faithful to a promise is an order of Quran, but if the American presidential candidates carry out their threats to tear up the deal, then the Islamic Republic will burn the JCPOA,” the Leader stressed.

In March, Ted Cruz, a Republican presidential hopeful, told the Zionist lobby AIPAC that they would scrap the nuclear deal with Iran as they take office.

Leader says the Islamic Republic won’t be the first to violate the nuclear deal. Staying faithful to a promise is an order of Quran, but if the American presidential candidates carry out their threat to tear up the deal, then the Islamic Republic will burn the JCPOA.

The Leader further stated that the other side is committed to remove sanctions, but the sanctions have not been lifted completely, adding that the U.S. says there is no impediment to banking interaction with Iran, but banks do not dare interacting with Iran in practice.

The issue of insuring oil tankers has not been resolved completely yet, Ayatollah Khamenei continued saying.

Iran has fulfilled its commitments, stopped its uranium enrichment at 20 percent, and shut down nuclear facilities in Fordow and Arak, the Leader reminded.

It is difficult for Iran to access oil revenues and the country’s assets in foreign banks have not been returned due to the U.S. “enmity” and failure to deliver its promises, he said.

Elsewhere, the Leader noted that it is a “misconception that we [the Islamic Republic] can come to terms with the US. We cannot rely on illusions,” calling it wrong.

“The main problem of the U.S. is the existence of the Islamic Republic of Iran which will not be resolved through negotiation and establishment of relations, because power and independence which originate in Islam are not acceptable for the arrogant power,” he added.

Elsewhere, the Leader warned of enemy plots to hinder Iran’s progress.

“The enemy’s plan is to eliminate the Islamic Republic capabilities or prevent the capabilities from flourishing,” he said.

Finally, the Leader highlighted that “planning and prioritizing” issues related to recession and unemployment will speed up implementation of the resistance economy.

Iran and the 5+1 group - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany - finalized the text of the JCPOA in Vienna in July 2015. The nuclear deal went into effect in January 2016.

NA