ADDS FOREIGN MINISTER'S REMARKS, CHANGES HEADLINE
By Ahmet Dursun and Elena Teslova
ANKARA/MOSCOW (AA) – Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday threatened to resume high level enrichment of uranium if his country’s interests in the nuclear deal with world powers are not protected within 60 days.
His remarks came at a speech broadcast on national television.
The country’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated Rouhani’s statement during a press conference prior to a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow.
“Unfortunately, the European Union and the rest of the international community could not resist U.S. pressure. Therefore, Iran considers it appropriate to terminate some of the obligations and conditions it has voluntarily assumed under the agreement, ” Zarif told reporters.
Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew his country from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of nations (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany).
Shortly afterward, Washington re-imposed economic sanctions on Iran targeting the country’s energy and banking sectors.
