Iranian Ayatollah warns US against tampering with nuclear deal, as Iranian President heads to UN General Assembly.
By Tal Polon – Arutz Sheva
Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a threat to the US on Sunday, asserting that the US would “face the reaction” of Iran should it tamper with the Iran nuclear deal.
“The Iranian nation is standing firm and any wrong move by the domineering regime regarding the [nuclear deal] will face the reaction of the Islamic Republic,” Khamenei said, according to Iranian state television.
In the meantime, Iran’s Press TV reported on Sunday that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani emphasized the deal’s contribution to ” security, stability and development,” as he prepared to leave for New York to attend the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly.
“Today, there is a consensus in the world that the JCPOA [nuclear deal] benefits security, stability and development in the region and the world,” he said.
“The opponents of the JCPOA are restricted to two or three countries, including some in the US, who feel cheated. They believe that a feast has been set out but that they are deprived of going to the table and having something,” Rouhani said.
“This is while they can also choose the right path, enter the room and go to the table; that’s fine with us.”
US President Donald Trump has continuously criticized the Iran nuclear deal, describing it as “the worst deal I’ve ever seen negotiated.”
On Thursday, he slammed Iran for violating “the spirit” of the nuclear deal, saying again, “The Iran deal is one of the worst deals I’ve ever seen, certainly at a minimum the spirit of the deal is atrociously kept.”
“The Iran deal is not a fair deal to this country. It’s a deal that should not have ever been made,” he added.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has also been a vocal critic of the deal. Last week,during a visit to Argentina, he told Argentinian President Mauricio Macri, “Our position is straightforward – this is a bad deal. Either fix it or scrap it. This is Israel’s position.”
On Saturday, Channel 2 reported that Netanyahu intends to propose an outline for significant changes in the Iran nuclear deal when he meets Trump in New York this week.
According to the report, the Prime Minister is not only going to speak out and warn against the danger from Iran, but also present a plan that will prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. Netanyahu also plans to discuss this topic at his address at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
The report did not provide details about Netanyahu’s plan, but did note that after many years in which every meeting with an American president was accompanied by tension and apprehension, this time Netanyahu will meet a sympathetic president and an administration that sees eye to eye on most of the issues.