TEHRAN – Morteza Saffari Natanzi, a member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, on Saturday warned that Iran will resume its nuclear program with a normal speed if it does not benefit from the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA.

Speaking to Mehr news agency, Saffari Natanzi urged European signatories of the nuclear deal to guard the deal from attempts by the U.S. to undermine it.

He said the Islamic Republic will ramp up its uranium enrichment to 20 percent and will restore its nuclear program to pre-JCPOA level should the deal gets thrown away.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump declined to certify Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal. The decision put the fate of snapping back sanctions against Iran in hands of Congress. 

Washington’s move came in spite of the concerns expressed by European leaders who have repeatedly insisted that the nuclear deal is working, that Iran has been complying with the pact and that they are not willing to renegotiate the terms of the nuclear agreement.

“If the Europeans believe that Barjam (Persian name for the JCPOA) is a good agreement…, they must support the rights of the Islamic Republic,” Saffari Natanzi stated.

However, the lawmaker expressed doubts about Washington’s ability to exit the deal, saying despite their propaganda and anti-JCPOA rhetoric, they cannot hurt the internationally-endorsed accord.

He also ruled out any renegotiation of the deal, saying Tehran has made it clear to European countries that the JCPOA is not open to renegotiation.

The nuclear deal was clinched between Iran, the European Union, Germany and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council in July 2015 and went into force in January 2016.

According to the agreement, backed by a UN Security Council resolution, Iran accepted to put limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for termination of economic and financial sanctions.
  
So far the IAEA, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog body, has released eight reports each time confirming Iran’s adherence to the nuclear agreement.

MH/PA