Trump’s exit from Iran nuclear deal a historic mistake: Former envoy

'US walk away from the international accord will not only be a historic mistake but also it will entail consequences,' Soltanieh said in an exclusive interview with the Spanish daily El Pais which was published on Saturday.

The claim of Iran violating the deal is made by the US while Tehran has seriously been in compliance with the contents of the deal, he said.

Under the Iran Nuclear Deal, officially referred to as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Tehran received relief from international sanctions in return to some curbs on its nuclear program.

EL Pais described Soltanieh, as an Iranian diplomat who had led the country’s nuclear program during the years when Iran and the West relations were at a highly tense level.

Soltanieh served as Iran’s representative to the UN nuclear watchdog from 1982 to 1987 and for a second term in 2006 until 2013.

Iran can easily restore its nuclear program to the pre-2015 nuclear deal level, Soltanieh was quoted by the Spanish daily.

He was further quoted as saying that the Iranian scientists are still eminent in nuclear know-how, as sanctions failed to undermine the country’s nuclear program.

“If the US leaves the deal, we will also revert to our nuclear program,” he said, noting that Iran will always pursue the technology for peaceful purposes.

Soltanieh further contended that other signatories of the landmark nuclear deal would leave Trump alone in his attempts to abandon the international agreement.

The International community will also pressure the US to respect the international deal signed by global parties, he said.

The US would be totally isolated and denounced by the international community if it made the historic mistake, Soltanieh added.

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