Rouhani: Iran will seek to remain in nuclear agreement

By Mustafa Melih Ahishali and Ahmet Dursun

ISTANBUL

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday said the U.S. decision to withdraw from a nuclear deal was “unacceptable” and that Iran would seek to remain in the agreement.

In a televised speech, Rouhani said that there was a "short time" to negotiate, adding that he had instructed his Foreign Ministry to negotiate with the countries that did not withdraw from the nuclear agreement.

"The nuclear deal will continue if we see we can meet the demands of the Iranian people with the cooperation of five countries in the short period," Rouhani added.

Rouhani stressed that the agreement was not bilateral but multilateral.

Bucking pressure from the U.S.'s closest European allies, President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. Tuesday from its participation in the landmark nuclear agreement world powers struck with Iran in 2015.

Trump opted not to extend sanctions relief on Iran ahead of a May 12 deadline, vowing instead to re-impose nuclear-related economic penalties.

The 2015 nuclear agreement placed unprecedented restrictions on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in relief from international sanctions, but Trump has consistently railed against it since he began his bid for America's highest office, repeatedly claiming it is the "worst deal" he has ever seen.

All of the U.S.'s negotiating partners -- the U.K., France, Germany, Russia, China and the EU -- had agreed that maintaining the accord was the best way to reign in Iran's program.