TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani warned Tuesday to exit the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers if the United States keeps on imposing new sanctions, he said in a televised address.
Rouhani's comments come with the nuclear deal under mounting pressure after Tehran carried out missile tests, and Washington imposed new sanctions, with each accusing the other of violating the spirit of the agreement.
Rouhani warned that Iran was ready to exit the 2015 deal, which saw the lifting of most international sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear program, if Washington persisted.
He said Iran did prefer to stick with the nuclear deal, which he called "a model of victory for peace and diplomacy over war and unilateralism" but that this was not the "only option."
Rouhani said Trump had shown he was an unreliable partner not just for Iran but for the U.S. allies.
"The reason for the U.S. excuses and renege is Iran's commitment to its undertakings under the nuclear deal, upholding its rights, and the U.S. failure in pursuing its covetousness," Rouhani said.
The U.S. new administration is trying to gear back to the sanctions against Iran, but Iran will respond to any threats "properly," he said.
The U.S. officials should know that failure in exerting sanction pressures on the Islamic republic forced them to the negotiation table with Iran on its nuclear program, Rouhani said.
"If they want to hold on their past experience, Iran will definitely return (its nuclear program) to pre-deal situation in a very quick and advanced manner," the Iranian president stressed.
Iran's parliament on Sunday overwhelmingly approved the generalities of a motion to counter U.S. pressures and its "terrorist and adventurous" acts in the region.
It also approved more than half a billion U.S. dollars in funding for the country's missile program and foreign operations of the elite Revolutionary Guards in response to the new U.S. sanctions.
On Aug. 2, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a sanctions bill on Russia, Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Sanctions against Iran is mainly in response to Tehran's growing missile program.
Iranian officials have repeatedly said Iran's missile program is for deterrent purposes.
