Khamenei: Iran wants actions not words from parties to 2015 nuclear deal

Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said yesterday that his country wants “actions not words” from the parties to the 2015 nuclear agreement.

“We have heard many nice words and promises which in practice have been broken and opposite actions have been taken,” Khamenei said in a televised speech.

“Words and promises are no good. This time [we want] only action from the other side, and we will also act,” he added.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country would withdraw from the Additional Protocol to the Nuclear Agreement on 23 February, but will not expel IAEA inspectors from the country.

“We will end the implementation of the Additional Protocol on 23 February and what will be implemented will be based on the safeguards,” Rouhani said in a televised cabinet meeting.

Remarking on fears of Iran’s quest to possess nuclear weapons, Rouhani said: “We announced many times that there is no place for weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, in the country’s defence programme, and this is a well-established view of the government.”

Iran’s envoy to the IAEA said yesterday that the agency’s Director General, Rafael Grossi, will visit Tehran on Saturday to discuss the Islamic Republic’s plan to scale back cooperation with inspectors next week.

Iran’s Khamenei: US must lift all sanctions before Tehran rejoins nuclear deal