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Iran on Wednesday warned of a tough response if President Donald Trump presses ahead with his threats to scuttle the landmark 2015 nuclear deal.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told lawmakers during a closed session of parliament that Iran "will never renegotiate" the deal brokered with the U.S. and five other world powers, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
The nuclear agreement required Iran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Zarif as saying Iran will offer a "tougher response" if the U.S. breaks the agreement.
Trump is expected to decline this week to certify Iran's compliance and refer the matter to Congress. He also is expected to target Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard with new sanctions. On Tuesday, the State Department offered $12 million for information leading to the location, arrest or conviction of two senior leaders of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told a Cabinet meeting that Trump's speech will make clear "which is the rebellious government, and which is the side that violates international rules."
If the U.S. backs out of the nuclear deal, "it won't be our failure at all, but a failure for the other side," Rouhani said, according to state TV. He added that any effort to target the Revolutionary Guard would be a "double mistake."