Iran to continue expanding regional role, missile program

TEHRAn  (Defapress) – Iranian Parliament's General Director for International Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Wednesday that the Islamic Republic would continue to expand its constructive role in the region and boost its missile defense program.

He told Trump that the ‘era of bullying’ has passed.

“We will build our economy on more prospering grounds than ever by relying on domestic power and further interaction with the world,” he said.

Critical of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and calling it flawed for not addressing Iran’s regional influence and missile program, Trump announced last night that the US would withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal, and reinstate the sanctions that were lifted under the agreement.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the JCPOA will stay in place if the other sides to the agreement ensure that Iran's interests will continue to be met in absence of US participation.

Iran has stressed repeatedly that it will not negotiate on its regional role and missile program under any circumstances.

Meanwhile, the European sides to the deal issued a joint statement after Trump’s announcement, voicing their full commitment to the nuclear deal, and at the same time stressing that Iran needs to enter talks on those two issues.

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