Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement today about the nuclear deal it has with the US and several other world powers, saying it will not make any changes to the accord. Iran “will not accept any change in the deal, neither now nor in the future,” and will “not take any action beyond its commitments,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement reported by state TV.
Iran also said that it will not allow the deal to be connected with any other issues. The Trump administration has suggested that the Iran deal should also focus on Iran’s support for foreign regimes as well as its long-range ballistic missile program, in addition to its nuclear program.
President Trump extended the lifting of economic sanctions that were waived when the agreement was reached in 2015 yesterday. But he also implemented additional sanctions for human rights abuses and ballistic missile development. The new sanctions are leveled against 14 officials, freezing any assets they have in the U.S. and banning Americans from doing business with them.
President Trump de-certified the Iran deal in October and has vowed not to waive the sanctions again unless more concessions are forthcoming from Iran. The deal, reached between Iran, the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, China and Russia after years of both direct and indirect negotiations, lifted international sanctions against Iran in exchange for its pledging not to pursue a nuclear weapons program.