Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18
Trend:
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in an exclusive interview with CNN in New York said America would pay a high price if US President Donald Trump makes good on his threats to scrap the Iran nuclear deal.
“Exiting such an agreement would carry a high cost for the United States of America, and I do not believe Americans would be willing to pay such a high cost for something that will be useless for them,” Rouhani said.
Rouhani said such an action by the Trump administration "will yield no results for the United States but at the same time it will generally decrease and cut away and chip away at international trust placed in the Unites States of America."
The US extended sanctions relief for Iran last week as part of the 2015 nuclear agreement, which Trump has described as "the worst deal ever," but this is mainly procedural.
The real test comes in October when Trump will decide whether to certify that Iran is complying with the agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). If he does not, Congress has 60 days to decide whether to re-impose sanctions waived under the deal.
Rouhani, who was re-elected by a popular vote to a second presidential term earlier this year, was a key architect of the 2015 nuclear agreement with the United States, the European Union and other partners.
The deal led to the lifting of most international sanctions against Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
The agreement is expected to feature high on the agenda at this week's UN General Assembly in New York, which both Rouhani and Trump are attending.
On Thursday, Trump again attacked the agreement, calling it "one of the worst deals I have ever seen."
Trump promised the US is "not going to stand for what they [Iran] are doing," arguing Iran has "violated so many different elements" of the deal.
He promised his upcoming action on the deal in October would be "very evident."