Zarif: Iran not obligated to honor deal if other party breaks it

Iran’s Foreign Minister Muhamad Javad Zarif says in a press conference that Iran will not be bound to the nuclear accord if the world powers fail to uphold their end of the deal.

“If a party doesn’t keep to its commitments, the other party can refrain from what it has agreed to do,” Zarif says, in remarks translated by Iranian journalist Abas Aslani, head of Iran’s Tasnim News Agency.

“The deal today is the result of years of resistance and negotiations. It has important achievements for Iran. Once United Nations Security Council endorses [the deal], it will be finalized,” Zarif says.

“What is important now is that all of us are now committed to implementing the deal. The timing of the lifting of the sanctions is up to how much time the measurements of both sides will take. Limitation for research and development on enrichment will be for 8 years. Iran’s nuclear case will be closed in Security Council after 10 years,” he adds.

“Iran has always kept to its international commitments. You cannot find any example of Iran not keeping to its commitments. One of the reasons that caused speeding up the process in last days was that [Russian FM Sergei] Lavrov wanted to depart for another place,” Zarif concludes.

#Iran FM Zarif now talking to Iranian press. #IranTalks #IranTalksVienna pic.twitter.com/4l7zn0fYyx

— Abas Aslani (@AbasAslani) July 14, 2015