Iran to 'definitely' quit nuclear deal if US reimposes sanctions

TEHRAN - A senior Iranian lawmaker said Saturday that his country will definitely walk away from the 2015 nuclear deal if the United States reimposes sanctions on Iran.

"The most important objective of the JCPOA (official name for the nuclear deal) was the lifting of sanctions" against Iran, said Alaeddin Boroujerdi, Head of Iran's Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission.

"If sanctions are reimposed on Iran, we will definitely not remain in the JCPOA," Boroujerdi was quoted by Press TV as saying.

On Thursday, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said that Washington would probably get out of the Iran nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

She accused Iran of supporting terrorism and violating the terms of the JCPOA and said Europeans were closing their eyes on this, adding that the United States would not do so.

U.S. President Donald Trump has constantly criticized the nuclear pact inked between Iran and Russia, Britain, France, China, the U.S. and Germany in July 2015, in which the West promised to relieve sanctions on Tehran in exchange for a halt in Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon.

Trump has demanded the nuclear deal be altered to eliminate sunset clauses for some of the restrictions it places on Iran, and harden the inspection rules and to limit development of Iran's long-range missiles.

Iran said it will not take any measures beyond its commitment to the JCPOA, nor will it accept changes to this agreement now or any time in the future.

Iran has threatened to likely withdraw from the nuclear deal if it cannot receive economic benefits.