Washington will have to pay dearly if it breaches JCPOA: Iran nuclear official

’s top nuclear official has stressed the Islamic Republic’s strong commitment to the nuclear agreement struck between Iran and six world countries in July 2015, warning the United States about the negative repercussions of violating the deal.

“If the JCPOA is discarded, it will harm everyone,” said Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), in reference to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear agreement.

“We approve of the JCPOA and will not initiate its violation, and we hope they, too, act wisely and don’t violate it,” he said in an exclusive interview with IRIB news agency on Saturday.

Salehi further pointed out that the successful implementation of the JCOPA will serve the interests of Iran, the West, the Middle East as well as the entire international community, warning that its breach will likewise be to the detriment of everyone.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia — plus Germany started implementing the JCPOA on January 16.

Under the deal, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the Security Council and the US would be lifted. Iran has, in return, put some limitations on its nuclear activities.

However, many large European banks still refrain from engaging in transactions with Iran for fear of US penalties.

“My perception is that the other side will try to keep the JCPOA intact, because it well knows that the violation of the nuclear accord will harm them before harming us,” Salehi said.

“The first damage to Americans would be that their political credibility, in the gaining of which they have invested heavily, will be tarnished, and they will have to pay dearly if the world comes to realize they have been so non-commitment,” he said.

On June 14, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei pointed to the threats by some US presidential hopefuls to scrap the nuclear agreement, saying the Islamic Republic will strongly respond to any such move.

“We will not violate the JCPOA, but if the opposite side violates it — as US presidential candidates are currently threatening to tear up the JCPOA — if they tear up the JCPOA, we will burn it,” the Leader stated.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the US has so far failed to fulfill a major part of its obligations under the JCPOA but Iran has abided by its commitments.