'Death to America': Iranian politicians set fire to US flag in parliament

TEHRAN - A group of Iranian politicians have burnt a United States flag in the country's parliament following President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran.

They also chanted "death to America" and burnt a symbolic copy of the nuclear deal, vowing to continue spending on the country's ballistic missile program.

While US flag-burning is common in Iran and harsh criticism of America has been a staple of Iranian parliamentary politics for years, it was the first time political observers could remember anything being burned inside the parliament itself.

The 2015 agreement imposed restrictions on Iran's nuclear program in return for the lifting of most US and international sanctions.

"Today’s action sends a critical message: the United States no longer makes empty threats. When I make promises, I keep them." pic.twitter.com/pd5WC2II95

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 8, 2018

The agreement had opened the doors for Western companies - including car manufacturers, oil firms, airlines and hotel groups - to sign deals in Iran, boosting the country’s economy.

The furious demonstration in the Iranian parliament Wednesday morning reflected broad public anger in the country after Trump called the deal a 'horrible, one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made'.

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/world/us-plans-to-withdraw-from-iran-nuke-deal-reinstate-sanctions-report/

“Trump does not have the mental capacity to deal with issues,” parliament speaker Ali Larijani said.

Meanwhile, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the US president of '10 lies' during his explosive announcement Tuesday and warned his country not to trust America, Britain, France and Germany.

Referring to Trump, Khamenei added Wednesday morning: “This man will turn to dust and his body will become food for snakes and ants. And the Islamic Republic will still be standing.”

“We accepted the nuclear deal, but the enmity against the Islamic Republic did not end,” Khamenei said.

Iran needs to preserve its nuclear programme because the country will need 20,000 megawatts of electricity in the next few years, he added.

President Hassan Rouhani has previously warned that Iran could restart enriching uranium 'without any limitations' within weeks.

Rouhani said he'd be sending Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to the countries still in the deal - China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom.

Europeans still back the 2015 deal and the leaders of France, Germany and Britain said Trump's decision to leave the accord is a threat to global efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/993920765060878336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fsantiagotimes.cl%2F2018%2F05%2F08%2Ftrump-announces-u-s-withdrawal-from-one-sided-iran-nuclear-deal%2F

Iran hopes the European Union will pass laws to protect European firms from any potential US sanctions. EU officials have suggested they'll do what they can to salvage the agreement.

Still, Rouhani made a point of stressing that Iran, at any time, could resume its nuclear program.

“So if necessary, we can begin our industrial enrichment without any limitations,” the Iranian leader said. “Until implementation of this decision, we will wait for some weeks and will talk with our friends and allies and other signatories of the nuclear deal, who signed it and who will remain loyal to it. Everything depends on our national interests.”

Barack Obama and his former secretary of state John Kerry both bashed Trump's decision, calling it unnecessary and wrongheaded.

Russia said it was 'deeply disappointed' while French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian insisted the deal was 'not dead'. French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said the US should not consider itself as the world's 'economic policeman'.

The move has, however, been welcomed by Iran's major rivals, Saudi Arabia and Israel.