Iran's President Warns on Breach of Nuclear Deal
DOW JONES & COMPANY, INC. 9:05 AM ET 7/13/2016
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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday defended the nuclear accord reached a year ago, but warned that Iran could quickly restore its nuclear capabilities should the U.S. and other world powers breach the terms of the deal.
"We always keep our word," Mr. Rouhani said on state TV. "But if they want to breach their commitment, our nuclear capabilities are such that we can reach the level we want in a short period of time."
Under the landmark pact with the U.S. and five other world powers that was reached on July 14, 2015, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program in a way that precludes it from making an atomic weapon in return for the lifting of sanctions that had crippled its economy. The deal came into effect in January.
Since then, Tehran complained that, while it respected its end of the accord, the country wasn't benefiting from the kind of economic relief it had expected.
Iran is still subject to unilateral American sanctions and the country has struggled to attract big foreign investments, partly because it is having trouble accessing the international banking system.
Boeing Co.'s (BA) plan to sell 80 passenger aircraft to Iran's national carrier has faced opposition from U.S. Congress, which has sought to block the $17.6-billion deal.
In a bid to help integrate Iran into the global economic system, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in recent months has said businesses should not use U.S. sanctions on Iran as an excuse for avoiding business with Tehran.
Write to Margherita Stancati at margherita.stancati@wsj.com
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07-13-160905ET
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