Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday that Iran will quit the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal if the interests of his country are not secured, official IRNA news agency reported.
"If we come to the conclusion that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) cannot serve the national interests, we will leave it," Khamenei said during a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his cabinet members.
The Iranian top leader also expressed dismay over the EU, saying the Islamic republic "pins no hope on Europeans over JCPOA and economic issues."
Iran and six world powers, namely China, Russia, Britain, France, the United States and Germany, struck a deal over Iran's nuclear program in 2015.
However, U.S. President Donald Trump decided to withdraw Washington from the deal earlier this year and re-impose sanctions on Iran.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Khamenei touched on the issue of the Iranian economy and called on Rouhani's administration to work profusely to solve the economic problems facing the nation.
"With regards to the economy, there is a need for full force, large-scale and proficient work; and authorities in charge of economic affairs must work hard day and night to solve the problems," he was quoted as saying by Press TV.
Iran's enemy has been focusing its attention on Iran's economy due to certain economic weaknesses in the country, he said, adding that in dealing with economic woes, officials need to concentrate on the policies of the "resistance economy" that is based on domestic production as a defensive tool.
The resistance economy will help Iran build a stronghold and boost capabilities against the enemy and will move forward, the Iranian leader said.
On Wednesday, President Rouhani criticized the United States for re-imposing sanctions against Iran "in contravention" of all international regulations and said "Washington is committed to nothing."
The relapse of sanctions on Iran is not aimed at the country's economy only, he said, noting that Washington is seeking to dominate the country once again.
"They seek to trample on Iran's economy once again and rule over the Iranians, but the Iranian nation will by no means submit to this and will prove it to the world through resistance," he added.
On Tuesday, Rouhani could not convince Iranian lawmakers with most of his answers to their questions about his administration's performance over current hardship in the country's economy.
Rouhani attended parliament to answer questions by the lawmakers about his government's failure to control goods smuggling, continuation of western banking sanctions, unemployment rate, economic recession and increase in forex rate.
The lawmakers were only contented by Rouhani's answer about the banking sanctions while his answers to other questions failed to win the lawmakers' approval.
Rouhani acknowledged that his administration had made some mistakes in handling the economic issues.
The lawmakers can send the questions to Iran's judiciary for further review. This would be a warning note to Rouhani if he is impeached by the parliament over the country's economic situation.
On Sunday, the Iranian lawmakers dismissed Rouhani's Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance over the current economic situation and refrained from giving a vote of confidence to him.
The Iranian lawmakers have complained that the administration's mismanagement of the conditions has resulted in price hikes and diminishing purchasing power.
The Iranian rial plunged to a record low against the U.S. dollar in August. There has been growing demand for dollars among Iranians for fear of more plunge in their assets values and growing price.
Foreign currency values began to rise in Iran after the United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and announced plans for a fresh wave of sanctions against the Islamic republic.
However, Khamenei said that the economic problems are not wholly caused by the U.S. sanctions, but a series of internal issues and mismanagement.
