The head of the United Nations atomic agency says Iran has implemented its "nuclear-related commitments" made under a landmark international agreement to limit the Islamic republic’s nuclear program, as opposition from the United States threatens to undermine the accord.
Yukiya Amano, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made the comments on October 29 at a press conference in Tehran, where he met with Iranian leaders.
In the 2015 deal, Tehran agreed to curtail its nuclear activities in exchange for relief from international sanctions.
Amano, whose agency is in charge of monitoring the agreement’s restrictions, met with Iranian President Hassan Rohani, Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi, who oversees Iran's nuclear activities, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, an IAEA statement said.
In a statement issued by his office, Rohani said Iran's adherence to the deal "has been complete and remarkable."
"We should not allow the [nuclear deal], as an important achievement, to be undermined, and we must consolidate this important international commitment with full cooperation," the Iranian president added.
Salehi said Theran wanted to continue with the nuclear accord and "avoid [the United States] disturbing it."
"If the nuclear deal is broken, it will have unpredictable consequences," he said.
Amano's visit comes amid a dispute between Washington and Tehran over U.S. President Donald Trump's decision this month not to certify Iranian compliance with the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers.
Trump, in a long-awaited Iran-policy speech on October 13, assailed Tehran as a "rogue regime" and threatened to walk away from the deal if what he called "serious flaws" were not fixed.
He slammed Tehran for what he said were violations of the "spirit" of the agreement, in part for its continued testing of ballistic missiles and its support for extremists in the Middle East, and said he would ask Congress to strengthen a U.S. law to put additional pressure on Iran.
Other signatories to the accord, inked during the presidency of Barack Obama, are Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany.
Many U.S. and other officials see the deal as a way to slow Iran's potential path toward creating a nuclear weapon. Tehran says its nuclear program has purely peaceful aims.
Leaders of the European Union and other parties in the deal have reaffirmed their commitment to the accord.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said Tehran will stick to the agreement as long as the other signatories do, but will "shred" the deal if Washington pulls out, as Trump has threatened to do.
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to put new sanctions on Iran for its pursuit of long-range ballistic missiles.
Speaking to parliament on October 29, Rohani vowed Iran would continue its missile program for its defense.
"We have built, are building, and will continue to build missiles, and this violates no international agreements," he said.