Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Warns of 'High Price' for Violating Nuclear Deal

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has warned that any party that violates the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would have to pay a "high price" for it, local media reported Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the Tasnim news agency, the official addressed the issue during a speech on Iran's role in the Middle East during a meeting with Japanese experts and researchers at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Tokyo.

Araqchi said that Iran was ready for the deal's possible violation or withdrawal by any of its parties, stressing that the nuclear deal had "a strong position at the international level," as it was approved by the United Nations, the European Union and the international community as a whole.

On July 29, the US Senate approved a bill on new non-nuclear sanctions against Iran over the country's missile program and human rights violations. The move has been widely criticized by the Iranian senior officials, including Araghchi, claiming that the US bill violated the provisions of the JCPOA by scaring individuals away from doing business with the country. On August 2, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said that the United States sought to pull out of the agreement by pushing Iran to withdraw from the deal first.

The JCPOA was concluded in July 2015 between Iran, the European Union and the P5+1 group of nations: the United States, Russia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and China. Under the terms of the agreement, nuclear-related sanctions on Iran were lifted in exchange for assurances that Tehran’s nuclear program would remain peaceful.