N. Chief Sees Iran as Winning Side Even If US Congress Disapproves Deal

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said his country will be the winning party even if the nuclear deal that is the result of years of negotiations fails to receive the approval of the US Congress.

“The fate of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCOPA) is not fully clear yet since there is commotion in the US, and the Congress and the US administration have stood up to each other,” Salehi said, addressing a gathering in Tehran on Sunday.

He said Iran has already achieved its goal. “No matter the JCPOA is approved or disapproved by the US Congress and even if Obama fails to do anything, we will be the winning party,” he added.

Salehi explained that Iran will be the winner because if the Congress doesn’t approve the JCPOA, then the US will face problems in maintaining its political credibility and improving its economic conditions, while Iran has not violated the norms and has complied with its undertakings.

Iran and the world powers reached a final agreement in Vienna on July 14 to end a 13-year-old nuclear standoff.

A week later, the UNSC unanimously endorsed a draft resolution turning into international law the JCPOA reached between Iran and the 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) group of countries over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

Now the US Congress and the Iranian parliament have less than 60 days to review the deal to approve or reject its practice.