Iranian President Hasan Rouhani said on Monday that the Islamic Republic’s nuclear industry is moving forward faster than before, warning that US will regret it in case it violates the nuclear deal signed between Tehran and world powers.
Speaking in a ceremony marking the 12th anniversary of ‘National Day of Nuclear Technology’ in Tehran, President Rouhani said that Iran’s nuclear program has not stopped in his term, underlining that Iran’s nuclear industry is moving in a faster pace.
“Some people think that in our eleventh and twelfth governments, our nuclear movement has slowed down and our centrifuges are not spinning or are spinning slowly, I want to tell the great nation of Iran clearly that our nuclear industry is moving faster than before with more energy, accuracy, and more accurate calculation. ”
Pointing out that last year, 42 nuclear-related projects were unveiled, the Iranian president added that this year, 83 nuclear-related achievements were unveiled.
Meanwhile, Rouhani stressed that Iran seeks ‘constructive engagement’ with the world, adding that Iranians are a nation whose culture and religion have taught them to remain loyal to their commitments in any agreements and Iran will not be the first country to violate the nuclear deal.
On the other hand, he said the United States would regret withdrawing from the nuclear deal, and that Iran would respond in “less than a week” if that happened.
“We will not be the first to violate the accord but they should definitely know that they will regret it if they violate it,” Rouhani told the conference.
“We are much more prepared than they think, and they will see that if they violate this accord, within a week, less than a week, they will see the result.”
US President Donald Trump has threatened to walk away from the nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions by May 12 unless tough new restrictions are imposed on Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.
Rouhani dismissed the threat, saying: “It’s been 15 months since this gentleman who came to power in America has been making claims and there have been many ups and downs in his remarks and his behavior.
“(But) the foundations of the JCPOA (nuclear deal) have been so strong that during these 15 months of pressure… the structure has remained solid.”
The other partners to the agreement — Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia and the EU — all agree that Iran has stuck by its commitments, as does the International Atomic Energy Association which is tasked with inspecting Iran’s compliance.
“Even if one day (the US) can harm the JCPOA, we will be the winner in the public opinion of the world as the nation that stuck by its commitments,” Rouhani said.
“If they withdraw, it would mean that they are not committed to their words.”
Rouhani said the country’s military and diplomatic powers were not aimed at intimidating its neighbors — an apparent riposte to claims by Saudi Arabia that it is seeking to dominate the Middle East.
“Our path is clear. We are not thinking of threatening anyone. Our powers, even our military power is not for aggression against any country. Our relations with our neighbors will be friendly relations,” Rouhani said.
Source: Agencies
