Speaking to reporters in the northeastern city of Mashhad on Monday, Salehi pointed to a possible move by the US to withdraw from the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and said technically, Iran is capable of returning its nuclear industry to the pre-JCPOA conditions.
“We are at a level much higher than that of the pre-JCPOA era,” he said, referring to the country’s advanced capabilities in the area of peaceful nuclear technology.
“We hope that Mr. Trump, his colleagues and administration would come to their senses and avoid causing troubles for themselves, us and others,” he added.
Trump in January set a 120-day deadline for US lawmakers and European allies to “fix” his predecessor Barack Obama's main foreign policy achievement or face a US exit.
Since the historic deal was signed by Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) in Vienna in July 2015, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly confirmed the Islamic Republic’s compliance with its commitments under the JCPOA but some other parties, especially the US, have failed to live up to their undertakings.