(AP Photo/Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader)
Tehran, Oct 21 (IANS) Iranian Supreme Leader Sayyed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday approved the government's nuclear deal with major world powers but said Tehran should not yield core elements of its nuclear programme until allegations of past military dimensions had been settled.
Khamenei said any remarks which suggest sanctions against Iran will remain in place would be in contravention of the agreement reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries over Tehran’s nuclear programme, Press TV reported.
“Any comments suggesting the sanctions structure will remain in place or (new) sanctions will be imposed, at any level and under any pretext, would be a violation of the JCPOA,” read the letter.
On July 14, Iran and the P5+1 countries - the US, Britain, France, China, Russia plus Germany -- finalised the text of an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme dubbed as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in the Austrian capital, Vienna.
Under the JCPOA, limits will be put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all economic and financial bans against the Islamic Republic related to its nuclear program.
The letter also stipulated that measures to retrofit the Arak reactor and trade the existing enriched uranium will get underway only after the Possible Military Dimensions file on Iran’s nuclear programmne is closed and a secure contract with enough guarantees is clinched.
In his letter, Khamenei reiterated that the US has adopted a hostile and disruptive approach vis-à-vis Iran’s nuclear programme, and was unlikely to change track in the future.
