US will ‘regret’ pulling out of nuke deal: Iran leader

By Ahmet Dursun

ANKARA (AA) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday said the U.S. would “regret” withdrawing from a landmark nuclear deal inked in mid-2015 between Tehran and the P5+1 group of nations.

Speaking at a conference marking Iran’s National Nuclear Technology Day, Rouhani cited what he described as the deal’s many benefits for Tehran, including closer cooperation with Russia, China and certain European countries.

“We will not be the first to violate the accord, but they [the U.S.] should know that they will regret it if they withdraw from it,” Rouhani asserted.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to pull the U.S. out of the deal and re-impose economic sanctions on Iran.

Rouhani, for his part, warned the U.S. against the possible consequences of such a move, saying Tehran’s response to such a scenario would be “stronger than can be imagined”.

“Our response would be stronger -- and swifter -- than anything they can imagine,” the Iranian president said in comments broadcast live on state television.

The nuclear deal was signed on July 14, 2015 between Tehran and the P5+1 group of nations (the UN Security Council’s five permanent members plus Germany).

The agreement allowed Iran to pursue a nuclear energy program -- for strictly civilian use -- in return for the lifting of longstanding western sanctions.

Since his election in late 2016, however, Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the deal over the objections of EU member states.