ANKARA: Iranian Sup­reme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wed­nes­day Tehran would stick to its 2015 nuclear accord with world powers as long as the other signatories respected it, but would “shred” the deal if Wash­ington pulled out, state TV reported.

Khamenei spoke five days after US President Donald Trump adopted a harsh new approach to Iran by refusing to certify its compliance with the deal.

“I don’t want to waste my time on answering the rants and whoppers of the brute (US) president,” Khamenei said in a speech to students in Tehran quoted by state television.

“Trump’s stupidity should not distract us from America’s deceitfulness ... If the US tears up the deal, we will shred it.”

Trump’s move put Wash­ington at odds with other parties to the accord who say Washington cannot unilaterally cancel an international accord enshrined by a UN resolution.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2017