TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani insisted against on Sunday that the 2015 nuclear deal can be preserved if the remaining five parties give guarantees that Tehran can reap the benefits of the international agreement.

U.S. President Donald Trump officially withdrew the United States from the nuclear pact on Tuesday and said he will reinstate economic sanctions on Iran. The move was strongly backed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who had launched a strong campaign of Iranophobia prior to Trump’s decision.

“Contrary to what the U.S. and the Zionist regime of Israel desire if the other five countries that are with us in the nuclear deal fulfil their commitments and guarantee Iran’s interests, this agreement will stay,” Rouhani said at a joint press conference with Maithripala Sirisena, the Sri Lankan president, who visited Tehran on Sunday.

The nuclear agreement, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was signed in July 2015 between Iran, the European Union, Germany and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council including the U.S. The deal went into force in January 2016. Under the multinational deal Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program for termination of economic and financial sanctions.  

Rouhani said that the U.S. move in quitting the JCPOA means “violation of morality, politics, right diplomatic path and international regulations”.

Trump has come under international criticism by world leaders and international organizations for leaving the agreement. His decision has been called the “most stupid” decision being take ever.  
 
Commenting on bilateral relations, he said that Iran and Sri Lanka have many capacities to expand economic relations.

For his part, Sirisena said Sri Lanka is determined to expand economic ties with Iran.

“Iran is one of the main buyers of Sri Lankan tea and Sri Lanka is one the buyers of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s oil. So, we called for increase in Iran’s oil export to Sri Lanka in our talks,” Sirisena said.

NA/PA