Iran’s Rouhani Says Trump Cannot Reverse Nuclear Deal

TEHRAN (AFP) – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said there was “no possibility” of its nuclear deal with world powers being overturned by US president-elect Donald Trump despite his threat to rip it up.

“Iran’s understanding in the nuclear deal was that the accord was not concluded with one country or government but was approved by a resolution of the UN Security Council and there is no possibility that it can be changed by a single government,” Rouhani told his cabinet, according to state television.

Last year’s accord with world powers saw international sanctions on Iran lifted in exchange for guarantees that it would not pursue a nuclear weapons capability.

During the election campaign, Trump described the deal as “disastrous” and said it would be his “number one priority” to dismantle it.

Rouhani, a moderate who has pushed for closer ties with the West, said the United States’ standing in the world had been weakened due to its “wrong policies”.

“The United States no longer has the capacity to create Iranophobia and to create a consensus against Iran,” he said.

“The constructive engagement policies of Iran towards the world, and the fact that international sanctions have been lifted, have placed the Iranian economy on a road where there is no possibility of going backwards.”