Iran’s President Rules Out Changes or Additions to Nuclear Deal

Says Trump has 'no clue' about treaties

European officials continue to try to come up with revisions or sideline deals for the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran to convince President Trump not to withdraw the US from it. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, however, rejected any changes to the treaty, saying Iran would not accept “one sentence” being altered.

Presidents Trump and Rouhani

“The nuclear deal is the nuclear deal,” Rouhani said. He added that no individual party to the treaty had the right to try to amend it after it had already been signed.

Sticking to the text seems to be fine for everybody except for Trump, who has given the world until May 12 to change the deal in ways he wants. He has threatened to withdraw sanctions relief obliged under the treaty, though Iranian officials note the US wasn’t in full compliance anyhow.

Rouhani appeared open to keeping the deal in place without US participation, saying Iran would stay in the deal so long as it stays in their interest. Other Iranian officials, however, have said they want enrichment curbs abandoned if the US withdraws from the deal.

Rouhani was also deeply critical of President Trump for trying to push changes, saying Trump has “no clue about the law or international treaties,” saying he’s “just a businessman” who shouldn’t try to pass judgment on international issues.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.