In this handout photo, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with members of the Basij force, a volunteer paramilitary organisation Tehran on Tuesday.

Iran will retaliate if the U.S. renews sanctions next month, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday. “In the issue of the nuclear deal, the current administration has committed several violations, the latest of which is the renewal of the 10-year sanctions,” Khamenei said in a televised speech.

“If these sanctions happen, it is absolutely a breach of the JCPOA,” he added, referring to last year’s deal with world powers under which sanctions were eased in exchange for curbs to Iran’s nuclear programme.

The U.S. Congress last week voted to renew long-standing sanctions linked to Iran’s ballistic missile tests and human rights record that pre-date the controversy around Iran's nuclear ambitions. </s> Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with members of the Basij force, a volunteer paramilitary organisation in Tehran on November 22, 2016 (AFP Photo/HO)

Tehran (AFP) - Iran will retaliate if the United States renews sanctions next month, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Wednesday.

"In the issue of the nuclear deal, the current administration has committed several violations, the latest of which is the renewal of the 10-year sanctions," Khamenei said in a televised speech to thousands of members of the Basij Islamist volunteer militia.

"If these sanctions happen, it is absolutely a breach of the JCPOA," he added, referring to last year's deal with world powers under which sanctions were eased in exchange for curbs to Iran's nuclear programme.

"They must know that the Islamic republic will react against it."

The US Congress last week voted to renew long-standing sanctions linked to Iran's ballistic missile tests and human rights record that pre-date the controversy around Iran's nuclear ambitions.

The 10-year sanctions must still be approved by the Senate and President Barack Obama by the end of the year.

Washington says these sanctions have nothing to do with the nuclear deal, but Iran says the continuing restrictions go against the spirit of the agreement, particularly since they have discouraged international banks from returning.

"The JCPOA must not become a tool for pressuring the Iranian people," Khamenei said. </s> Extending U.S. sanctions on Iran for 10 years would breach the Iranian nuclear agreement, Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said on Wednesday, warning that Tehran would retaliate if the sanctions are approved.

"The current U.S. government has breached the nuclear deal in many occasions," Khamenei said, addressing a gathering of members of the Revolutionary Guards, according to his website. "The latest is extension of sanctions for 10 years, that if it happens, would surely be against JCPOA, and the Islamic Republic would definitely react to it."

The U.S. House of Representatives voted this month for legislation to extend American sanctions on Iran for 10 years. The legislation needs Senate approval and President Obama's signature. </s> Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said the world will "not accept" US unilateralism just hours after Washington laid out a series of tough demands to be included in a potential new nuclear treaty with Iran.

In remarks carried by Iran's ILNA news agency on Monday, Rouhani said the era of the US making decisions for the rest of the world was "over".

"Countries are independent ... We will continue our path with the support of our nation," Rouhani said.

"Who are you to decide for Iran and the world?"

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump's defied efforts by European allies and announced Washington's withdrawal from a landmark multinational pact signed with Iran in Vienna in 2015 and a decision to impose tough sanctions on Tehran.

In announcing the new US strategy towards Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday warned Washington "will apply unprecedented financial pressure on the Iranian regime" unless it complied with a list of 12 conditions, which must be met before any new deal can be reached.

The demands include giving the International Atomic Energy Agency a full account of the country's former nuclear military programme, withdrawing its forces from Syria and ending what Pompeo described as Iran's "threatening behaviour" towards its neighbours.

Also responding to Pompeo, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif accused the US of a "regression to old habits", saying Washington's diplomatic efforts were a "sham".

"It repeats the same wrong choices and will thus reap the same ill rewards. Iran, meanwhile, is working with partners for post-US JCPOA solutions," Zarif said in a tweet on Monday.

Political analyst Jamal Abdi said the US knew that Iran could never agree with such demands.

"[It's a smokescreen of 'We want to handle this diplomatically', but I think this is all about paving a path towards confronting Iran militarily - whether that's through covert action or an overt escalation in the region."

Under the 2015 deal with six world powers - China, France, Russia, the UK, the US and Germany, as well as the European Union - Iran scaled back its enrichment of uranium and vowed not to pursue nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly confirmed that Tehran has been meeting its nuclear commitments enshrined in the deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), fully.

The spat comes after several European companies expressed concern about continuing business with Iran following the US exit, raising further doubts about the viability of the deal.

Danish shipping giant Maersk Tankers, German insurer Allianz and Italian steel manufacturer Danieli have all announced plans to halt, or wind down altogether, operations in the country.

French energy giant Total has also warned it will pull out of a multibillion-dollar project to develop Iran's vast South Pars gas field unless granted a waiver by US authorities.

Despite recent efforts from EU leaders to safeguard the 2015 deal, Zarif has accused the bloc of not doing enough to preserve its future, saying it "needs to take more practical strides and increase its investments in Iran if it is to continue its economic cooperation with the Islamic Republic [Iran]".

Reacting to Pompeo's comments, Boris Johnson - foreign secretary of Britain, which is party to the 2015 nuclear deal - said the "jumbo negotiation" sought by Washington would be extremely difficult to achieve within a "reasonable timetable".

"I think in the end, we will get back to the kind of additions to the JCPOA that we initially envisaged - but it may take a long time," Johnson said on Monday ahead of a G20 foreign ministers summit in Argentina, at which discussions about the nuclear deal are expected to take place.

Britain has vowed to honour the 2015 agreement, which Johnson said had "protected the world from an Iranian nuclear bomb, and in return [given] the Iranians some recognisable economic benefits".

On Thursday, the European Commission said it would launch the process of activating a law that bans European companies and courts from complying with US sanctions against Iran.

Jean Claude Juncker, the commission's president, said it has a "duty to protect European companies" from Washington's punitive fiscal measures.

The options being considered by the bloc to keep Tehran in the nuclear deal reportedly include new credit lines, increased energy cooperation and implementing EU laws to block European firms from caving in to US sanctions.

EU trade with Iran has increased dramatically since the sanctions on its economy were lifted as part of the 2015 deal.

Last year, trade between the bloc and Iran totalled over 20bn euro ($23.5bn), with most exports being machinery and transport goods and the majority of imports being energy-related products. </s> BEIRUT, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Extending U.S. sanctions on Iran for 10 years would breach the Iranian nuclear agreement, Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said on Wednesday, warning that Tehran would retaliate if the sanctions are approved.

The U.S. House of Representatives re-authorised last week the Iran Sanctions Act, or ISA, for 10 years. The law was first adopted in 1996 to punish investments in Iran’s energy industry and deter Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The Iran measure will expire at the end of 2016 if it is not renewed. The House bill must still be passed by the Senate and signed by President Barack Obama to become law.

Iran and world powers concluded the nuclear agreement, also known as JCPOA, last year. It imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in return for easing sanctions that have badly hurt its economy.

“The current U.S. government has breached the nuclear deal in many occasions,” Khamenei said, addressing a gathering of members of the Revolutionary Guards, according to his website.

“The latest is extension of sanctions for 10 years, that if it happens, would surely be against JCPOA, and the Islamic Republic would definitely react to it.”

The U.S. lawmakers passed the bill one week after Republican Donald Trump was elected U.S. president. Republicans in Congress unanimously opposed the agreement, along with about two dozen Democrats, and Trump has also criticized it.

Lawmakers from both parties said they hoped bipartisan support for a tough line against Iran would continue under the new president.

President-elect Trump once said during his campaign that he would “rip up” the agreement, drawing a harsh reaction from Khamenei, who said if that happens, Iran would “set fire” to the deal.

The House of Representatives also passed a bill last week that would block the sale of commercial aircraft by Boeing and Airbus to Iran.

The White House believes that the legislation would be a violation of the nuclear pact and has said Obama would veto the measure even if it did pass the Senate.

(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, editing by Larry King) </s> Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said the world would "not accept" US unilateralism just hours after Washington laid out a series of tough demands to be included in a potential new nuclear treaty with Iran.

In remarks carried by Iran's ILNA news agency on Monday, Rouhani said the era of the United States making decisions for the rest of the world was "over".

"Countries are independent ... We will continue our path with the support of our nation," Rouhani said.

"Who are you to decide for Iran and the world?"

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump defied efforts by European allies and announced Washington's withdrawal from a landmark multinational pact, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed with Iran in 2015 and a decision to impose harsh sanctions on Tehran.

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In announcing the new US strategy towards Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday warned that Washington "will apply unprecedented financial pressure on the Iranian regime" unless it complied with a list of 12 conditions, which must be met before any new deal can be reached.

The demands include giving the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a full account of the country's former nuclear military programme, withdrawing its forces from Syria and ending what Pompeo described as Iran's "threatening behaviour" towards its neighbours.

Also responding to Pompeo, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif accused the US of a "regression to old habits", saying Washington's diplomatic efforts were a "sham".

"It repeats the same wrong choices and will thus reap the same ill rewards. Iran, meanwhile, is working with partners for post-US JCPOA solutions," Zarif said in a tweet on Monday.

US diplomacy sham is merely a regression to old habits: imprisoned by delusions & failed policies—dictated by corrupt Special Interest—it repeats the same wrong choices and will thus reap the same ill rewards. Iran, meanwhile, is working with partners for post-US JCPOA solutions. — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) May 21, 2018

Political analyst Jamal Abdi said the US knew that Iran could never agree with such demands.

"[It's a] smokescreen of 'We want to handle this diplomatically', but I think this is all about paving a path towards confronting Iran militarily - whether that's through covert action or an overt escalation in the region."

Pompeo's comments were welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the demands amounted to "the only policy that could ultimately guarantee the security of the Middle East".

"We call on the entire international community to join this American position," Netanyahu said on Monday.

Anwar Gargash, the United Arab Emirates' minister of state for foreign affairs, also said Washington was taking the correct stance on Iran.

"Uniting [our] efforts is the correct path for Iran to realize the futility of its incursions and expansionism ... The Pompeo strategy requires wisdom and a change of the Iranian compass," Gargash said in a tweet on Monday.

EU diplomacy

Under the 2015 deal with six world powers - China, France, Russia, the UK, the US and Germany, as well as the European Union - Iran scaled back its enrichment of uranium and vowed not to pursue nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief.

The IAEA repeatedly confirmed that Tehran has been meeting its nuclear commitments enshrined in the deal fully.

The spat comes after several European companies expressed concern about continuing business with Iran following the US exit, raising further doubts about the viability of the deal.

Danish shipping giant Maersk Tankers, German insurer Allianz and Italian steel manufacturer Danieli have all announced plans to halt, or wind down altogether, operations in the country.

French energy giant Total has also warned it will pull out of a multibillion-dollar project to develop Iran's vast South Pars gas field unless granted a waiver by US authorities.

Despite recent efforts from EU leaders to safeguard the 2015 deal, Zarif has accused the bloc of not doing enough to preserve its future, saying it "needs to take more practical strides and increase its investments in Iran if it is to continue its economic cooperation with the Islamic Republic [Iran]".

'Jumbo negotiation'

Reacting to Pompeo's comments, Boris Johnson - foreign secretary of the UK, which is party to the 2015 nuclear deal - said the "jumbo negotiation" sought by Washington would be extremely difficult to achieve within a "reasonable timetable".

"I think in the end, we will get back to the kind of additions to the JCPOA that we initially envisaged - but it may take a long time," Johnson said on Monday before a G20 foreign ministers summit in Argentina, at which discussions about the nuclear deal are expected to take place.

Britain has vowed to honour the 2015 agreement, which Johnson said had "protected the world from an Iranian nuclear bomb, and in return [given] the Iranians some recognisable economic benefits".

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Federica Mogherini, the European Union's foreign policy chief, told reporters later on Monday there is "no alternative" to the deal.

On Thursday, the European Commission said it would launch the process of activating a law that bans European companies and courts from complying with US sanctions against Iran.

Jean Claude Juncker, the commission's president, said it has a "duty to protect European companies" from Washington's punitive fiscal measures.

The options being considered by the bloc to keep Tehran in the nuclear deal reportedly include new credit lines, increased energy cooperation and implementing EU laws to block European firms from caving in to US sanctions.

EU trade with Iran has increased dramatically since the sanctions on its economy were lifted as part of the 2015 deal.

Last year, trade between the bloc and Iran totalled over 20bn euro ($23.5bn), with most exports being machinery and transport goods and the majority of imports being energy-related products. </s> TEHRAN. – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said the world would “not accept” US unilateralism just hours after Washington laid out a series of tough demands to be included in a potential new nuclear treaty with Iran.

In remarks carried by Iran’s ILNA news agency on Monday, Rouhani said the era of the United States making decisions for the rest of the world was “over”.

“Countries are independent … We will continue our path with the support of our nation,” Rouhani said.

“Who are you to decide for Iran and the world?”

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump defied efforts by European allies and announced Washington’s withdrawal from a landmark multinational pact, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed with Iran in 2015 and a decision to impose harsh sanctions on Tehran.

In announcing the new US strategy towards Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday warned that Washington “will apply unprecedented financial pressure on the Iranian regime” unless it complied with a list of 12 conditions, which must be met before any new deal can be reached.

The demands include giving the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a full account of the country’s former nuclear military programme, withdrawing its forces from Syria and ending what Pompeo described as Iran’s “threatening behaviour” towards its neighbours.

Also responding to Pompeo, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif accused the US of a “regression to old habits”, saying Washington’s diplomatic efforts were a “sham”.

“It repeats the same wrong choices and will thus reap the same ill rewards. Iran, meanwhile, is working with partners for post-US JCPOA solutions,” Zarif said in a tweet on Monday.

Political analyst Jamal Abdi said the US knew that Iran could never agree with such demands.

“(It’s a) smokescreen of ‘We want to handle this diplomatically’, but I think this is all about paving a path towards confronting Iran militarily – whether that’s through covert action or an overt escalation in the region.”

Pompeo’s comments were welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the demands amounted to “the only policy that could ultimately guarantee the security of the Middle East”.

“We call on the entire international community to join this American position,” Netanyahu said on Monday.

Anwar Gargash, the United Arab Emirates’ minister of state for foreign affairs, also said Washington was taking the correct stance on Iran.

“Uniting [our] efforts is the correct path for Iran to realize the futility of its incursions and expansionism … The Pompeo strategy requires wisdom and a change of the Iranian compass,” Gargash said in a tweet on Monday.

Under the 2015 deal with six world powers – China, France, Russia, the UK, the US and Germany, as well as the European Union – Iran scaled back its enrichment of uranium and vowed not to pursue nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief.

The IAEA repeatedly confirmed that Tehran has been meeting its nuclear commitments enshrined in the deal fully.

The spat comes after several European companies expressed concern about continuing business with Iran following the US exit, raising further doubts about the viability of the deal.

Danish shipping giant Maersk Tankers, German insurer Allianz and Italian steel manufacturer Danieli have all announced plans to halt, or wind down altogether, operations in the country.

French energy giant Total has also warned it will pull out of a multibillion-dollar project to develop Iran’s vast South Pars gas field unless granted a waiver by US authorities.

Despite recent efforts from EU leaders to safeguard the 2015 deal, Zarif has accused the bloc of not doing enough to preserve its future, saying it “needs to take more practical strides and increase its investments in Iran if it is to continue its economic cooperation with the Islamic Republic (Iran)”.

Reacting to Pompeo’s comments, Boris Johnson – foreign secretary of the UK, which is party to the 2015 nuclear deal – said the “jumbo negotiation” sought by Washington would be extremely difficult to achieve within a “reasonable timetable”.

“I think in the end, we will get back to the kind of additions to the JCPOA that we initially envisaged – but it may take a long time,” Johnson said on Monday before a G20 foreign ministers summit in Argentina, at which discussions about the nuclear deal are expected to take place.

Britain has vowed to honour the 2015 agreement, which Johnson said had “protected the world from an Iranian nuclear bomb, and in return [given] the Iranians some recognisable economic benefits”.Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, told reporters later on Monday there is “no alternative” to the deal.

On Thursday, the European Commission said it would launch the process of activating a law that bans European companies and courts from complying with US sanctions against Iran.

Jean Claude Juncker, the commission’s president, said it has a “duty to protect European companies” from Washington’s punitive fiscal measures.

The options being considered by the bloc to keep Tehran in the nuclear deal reportedly include new credit lines, increased energy cooperation and implementing EU laws to block European firms from caving in to US sanctions.

EU trade with Iran has increased dramatically since the sanctions on its economy were lifted as part of the 2015 deal.

Last year, trade between the bloc and Iran totalled over 20bn euro ($23.5bn), with most exports being machinery and transport goods and the majority of imports being energy-related products. – Al Jazeera </s> Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The US strongly criticised Iran for a crackdown on recent anti-government protests

Iran says the US has "crossed a red line" by imposing sanctions on the head of its judiciary, Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli-Larijani.

The foreign ministry vowed to retaliate but did not say what form any action might take.

Iran also rejected any changes to its nuclear deal with world powers.

US President Donald Trump, a critic of the 2015 accord to prevent Iran developing nuclear arms, said he would extend sanctions relief one last time.

However, the US imposed fresh sanctions on 14 individuals and entities over alleged human rights abuses.

President Trump said he was giving Europe and the US "a last chance" to fix "terrible flaws" in the nuclear agreement signed by Iran and six world powers in 2015.

The White House wants EU signatories to agree permanent restrictions on Iran's uranium enrichment. Under the current deal they are set to expire in 2025. Mr Trump also wants Iran's ballistic missile programme to be addressed.

What are the new sanctions?

Although the US has suspended sanctions against Iran following the nuclear deal, it still imposes punitive measures over issues such as terrorism, human rights and ballistic missile development.

The US Treasury issued a statement on Friday saying Ayatollah Amoli-Larijani was responsible for the "torture or cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment or punishment of prisoners in Iran, including amputations".

It froze any assets he and the other individuals and entities on the list hold in the US, and "generally prohibited" Americans from engaging in transactions with them.

Foreign financial institutions or individuals could also face sanctions for doing business with those blacklisted, the US Treasury added.

The head of the Iranian judiciary had called for a crackdown on "rioters" and "vandals" following a recent spate of anti-government protests in Iranian cities.

Iran has complained that US sanctions not connected to nuclear activity have effectively cancelled out any financial benefits it expected from the 2015 deal.

How else did Iran react?

Iran's foreign ministry accused Mr Trump of "continuing to take hostile measures against the Iranian people and repeating the threats that have failed many times".

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption A timeline of what Trump has said about the Iran deal

Iran, it said, would not accept any amendments to the nuclear deal "now or in the future" or allow any other issues to be linked to it.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the US of making a "desperate attempt" to undermine a "solid" deal.

What is the nuclear deal?

The accord signed between six global powers and Iran saw Iran agree to reduce uranium enrichment activity drastically, dispose of its enriched uranium stocks and modify a heavy water facility so it could not produce material suitable for a nuclear bomb.

In return, decades of international and US nuclear-related sanctions were suspended. As part of an agreement with Congress, the president has to sign a waiver suspending the sanctions every 120 days.

What does Mr Trump want to change?

Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised the deal - reached under his predecessor Barack Obama - as "the worst ever".

The waiver he will sign suspends sanctions for another 120 days but he warned that if a new agreement was not made, sanctions would not be waived again.

"If at any time I judge that such an agreement is not within reach, I will withdraw from the deal immediately," he said.

US officials say the president will work with European partners to try to broker an agreement limiting Iran's ballistic missile activities.

He was prepared to back a modification to the existing deal if it were made permanent, one official said.

The president also wants the US Congress to amend a law on US participation in the nuclear deal, so that Washington can reimpose all sanctions if Iran breaches certain "trigger points".

This would involve negotiations between the US and its European allies rather than talks with Iran, the official said.

What have other countries said?

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, described Mr Trump's comments as "extremely negative".

Germany has said it will continue to call for the deal's full implementation and will consult on a "common way forward" with the UK and France.

French President Emmanuel Macron phoned Mr Trump on Thursday to call for "the strict application of the deal and the importance of all the signatories to respect it". </s> Throughout the U.S. presidential election campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly articulated disgust for the nuclear deal reached last year between Iran and world powers and promised to scrap it if he took office. But though Trump won the election about two weeks ago, the head of Iran's nuclear program, Ali Akbar Salehi, doesn't appear too concerned about the president-elect's threat.

Alongside President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Salehi was one of the main Iranian officials to take part in negotiations with counterparts from the United States and the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. The agreement put limits on Tehran's nuclear program in return for sanctions relief and the unfreezing of Iranian funds locked in foreign bank accounts.

Iranian officials have warned the United States that any steps to renege on the deal would potentially kill it - sounding the drums of war in the Middle East and sparking an international diplomatic crisis, with allies in Europe likely to be aggrieved by Washington's rejection of what took years of multilateral negotiation and coordination.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran acts upon its undertakings under the nuclear deal and we expect the other side to act upon its undertakings as well," Salehi said Tuesday, according to a report in the semiofficial Fars News Agency. "I imagine when the U.S. president practically takes the country's leadership, he will take actions on the basis of the realities."

Salehi added: "It is an international issue and we think that we will not face so many problems."

His public calm belies divisions within Iranian politics over the deal and the wisdom of negotiating anything with the United States, a longtime geopolitical foe. Some hard-liners close to the inner circle of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also have indicated their desire to tear up the agreement. Khamenei, for his part, said earlier this year that if Trump scraps the deal, "we will set fire to it."

Meanwhile, policy experts and officials in Washington, including those who staunchly opposed the Iran deal during its inception, also are cautioning against scrapping it - a move that would profoundly antagonize U.S. allies. Rather, they're pushing for a tightening of conditions and a re-imposition of sanctions so that Tehran will feel compelled to renegotiate some of the terms of the deal.

"We gave up . . . all of our leverage on the front end when we gave away the moneys that were stashed in various countries around the world, and so now the leverage is with them," Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told MSNBC last week. "I think the beginning point is for us to cause them to strictly adhere [to the deal]. And I think that what we have to remember is, we have to keep the Europeans and others with us in this process."

Salehi had also played it cool before Trump was elected.

"You can [use] many words, slogans, but then, at the end of the day, you are constrained by the realities," he said in September, referring to the rhetoric of the U.S. election campaign.
Ayatollah Khamenei warns that Iran will retaliate if sanctions that breach the Nuclear Deal are approved.