Nuclear Chief: Enemy Should Pay Heavy Price for Adventurism against Iran

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi described high turnout of the Iranian people in Tuesday rallies across the country as a backup for the Islamic Republic and the negotiating team in talks with the world powers, and warned the enemies that any political adventurism against Tehran would incur a heavy price on them.
“If the other side is wise and observes this popular support (for the Islamic Republic) in the rallies, it will no more embark on political adventurism,” Salehi told reporters in Tehran on Tuesday while participating in the February 11 rallies to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

“If the other side seeks to embark on political adventurism, then it will be forced to pay the price for it,” he underlined.

His remarks alluded to Washington’s recent threats and sanctions against Iran imposed after Tehran and the world powers struck a deal in Geneva, Switzerland, to settle their differences over Tehran’s nuclear program.

On November 24, Iran and the world powers, including the US, sealed a six-month Joint Plan of Action to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over its nuclear energy program. In exchange for Tehran’s confidence-building bid to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the Sextet of world powers agreed to lift some of the existing sanctions against Tehran and continue talks with the country to settle all problems between the two sides.

After Iran and the world powers struck a deal in November, the US Treasury Department imposed fresh sanctions against companies and individuals for their business links with Iran.

The US Treasury Department said on Thursday that the targeted entities operated in Turkey, Spain, Germany, Georgia, Afghanistan, Iran, Liechtenstein and the United Arab Emirates.

Also, Washington officials have been making increasing provocative remarks against Iran and the deal since November. US Secretary of State John Kerry said in an interview in Geneva in January that the military option was still on the table if Iran did not live up to its nuclear commitments under the Geneva deal.

In response, a large number of Iranian officials have warned of the dire repercussions of such remarks by Washington officials. Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Hossein Salami warned that the slightest military move by the US will be reciprocated by Iran’s harshest response, underlining that Iran’s reaction would “recognize no boundary”.