By Ahmed Dorsen
TEHRAN (AA) – Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Wednesday warned that Tehran, too, could withdraw from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers if the agreement no longer meets its national interests.
Khamenei made the remarks at a meeting with President Hassan Rouhani and members of Iran’s Council of Ministers.
The supreme leader also referred to Tehran's ongoing contacts with certain EU states following Washington’s withdrawal from the agreement in May.
“It’s okay to pursue negotiations,” he said, “but there’s no hope from Europe on certain issues, such as the nuclear deal or the economy.”
Khamenei has repeatedly voiced his refusal to hold talks — at any level — with the current U.S. administration.
“The [nuclear] agreement is not an objective unto itself, but rather a means of safeguarding our national interests,” he said.
“If we reach the conclusion that it does not meet our interests, we will withdraw from it,” he added.
In mid-2015, Iran signed a landmark nuclear deal with the P5+1 group of nations (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany).
The agreement placed tight restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief.
In May of this year, however, U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from the deal in a move heavily criticized by its European signatories.
Washington then re-imposed sanctions on Iran, which primarily target the country’s banking sector.
