The Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif, released a video on May 3 saying Iran would not accept the renegotiation of the deal on its nuclear program reached in 2015 with the US, EU, and others.
Zarif said Iran had agreed steps to assuage concerns of primarily the US, in return for a removal of sanctions. He said that while Iran has consistently been shown to uphold the agreement, the US has repeatedly violated it.
Zarif referenced US President Donald Trump’s unhappiness with the deal, and said, “We will neither outsource our security, not will we renegotiate … a deal we already have implemented in good faith.”
He continued: “If the US continues to violate the agreement, or if it withdraws altogether, we will exercise our right to respond in a manner of our choosing. Bluster or threats won’t get the US a new deal, particularly as it is not honoring a deal it has already made.”
A tweet from Zarif’s official account accompanying the video said: “There is Only One Way Forward, and It’s US Compliance; Not Appeasement.” Credit: Javad Zarif via Storyful
