Iran says it has 'options' if nuclear deal fails after US elections

BRATISLAVA - Iran wants all parties to stay committed to an international nuclear deal signed last year, but has options if that does not happen, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday.

He spoke after the US presidential election victory of Donald Trump, who had said he was opposed to the nuclear pact during campaigning.

"Of course Iran's options are not limited but our hope and our desire and our preference is for the full implementation of the nuclear agreement, which is not bilateral for one side to be able to scrap," Zarif told a news conference in Bratislava after meeting his Slovak counterpart Miroslav Lajcak.

Republican Trump said during the election campaign that he would abandon the nuclear deal reached between Tehran and six world powers in 2015 that curbed Iran's nuclear program in return for the removal of international sanctions.

His tough stance, in contrast to outgoing President Barack Obama's offer of an olive branch to Tehran, could serve the interests of hardliners in Iran.

During the election campaign, Trump described Iran as the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism and dismissed the nuclear accord as "one of the worst deals I've ever seen negotiated."

Following his election Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif urged him to stay committed to the Iran deal. President Hassan Rouhani said the election result would not effect Iran's policies and the nuclear accord could not be dismissed by one government.

###

http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran-News/Iran-says-has-options-if-nuclear-deal-fails-under-Trump-472264