Rouhani: Iran won’t allow Trump to ‘tear up’ nuclear deal

Iran’s president said Tuesday that his country would not allow incoming US president Donald Trump to “tear up” its landmark nuclear deal with world powers.

“Some man is elected in the US. Whatever plans he has, it will be revealed later,” Hassan Rouhani said in a speech at the University of Tehran on Tuesday.

“Yes, he may desire many things. He may desire to weaken the nuclear deal. He may desire to rip up the deal. Do you suppose we will allow this?”

He added that such desires “cannot affect our will.”

On the campaign trail, Trump called the deal “catastrophic,” said it would lead to a “nuclear holocaust,” and vowed to renegotiate it.

Rouhani’s comments followed a warning to the incoming Trump administration by China’s foreign minister on Monday that implementation of the Iran nuclear deal should not be “affected by any changes in the domestic situations” of countries involved.

Also on Monday, Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi threatened there would be a “firm and strong” reaction from Tehran if the US renewed longstanding sanctions linked to Iran’s ballistic missile tests and human rights record.

Those predate the controversy around Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

The US Senate approved the extension last week, and the bill is now on President Barack Obama’s desk. If it isn’t signed into law, the sanctions will expire on December 31.

Washington says the 10-year sanctions have nothing to do with the nuclear agreement, but Iran says the continuing restrictions breach its spirit, particularly since they have discouraged international banks from returning to the country.

The landmark nuclear deal, signed in July 2015, lifted international sanctions in exchange for limitations on the Iranian nuclear program.