The least Iran could do was partially withdraw from 2015 nuke deal: Rouhani on US sanctions

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday said that Tehran's partial withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) was a 'minimum' measure the country could take in retaliation to Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear deal and subsequent sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic.

In a speech telecast on the state television, Rouhani underlined that Iran would not be pressurised to engage in negotiations with the United States, reports Sputnik.

Iran stopped complying with some elements of the 2015 nuclear agreement (officially called JCPoA) in May, a year after the US unilaterally withdrew from the deal.

The agreement was signed with an aim to limit Iran's civilian energy programme, thereby preventing it from developing nuclear weapons at some point in the future, in exchange for relief from sanctions that were crippling the country's economy.

Washington's decision of pulling out from the agreement soured its ties with Iran. In the past year, the Trump administration has slapped a multitude of sanctions on Tehran citing the latter's support to state-sponsored terrorism and conflicts.