Iran says it will only return to the nuclear agreement if the US lifts sanctions.

247 - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani criticized US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (5) for abandoning the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 and said Tehran could rejoin the treaty if sanctions against his country are lifted.

"The Americans have just woken up from their dreams about why they left the JCPOA," the president said during a meeting with his cabinet, according to the IRNA news agency. He commented that the treaty "had many benefits" for Tehran and "was unique in the country's history."

"Trump made a stupid mistake by withdrawing from the nuclear agreement. [...] If the US wants to return to the agreement, it must lift all sanctions against Tehran and compensate for the reimposition of sanctions... Iran will give an overwhelming response if the US extends the arms embargo on Tehran," the president stated, according to Reuters.

Last week, the New York Times reported that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wants to extend the conventional embargo on small arms imposed on Iran, which expires next October. A draft document to which the newspaper had access states that Tehran "will not supply, sell or transfer, directly or indirectly, from its territory, by its nationals or by the use of ships or aircraft of another flag, any weapons or related material."

In a statement, Pompeo confirmed that the White House wants to maintain the embargo. "We cannot allow the Islamic Republic of Iran to purchase conventional weapons in six months," Pompeo said in a statement to The New York Times.

Information from Russia Today.