US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders will back the US nuclear accord with Iran but is prepared to re-impose economic sanctions if Iran violates the treaty, he said in a statement.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) � The 73-year-old Sanders has emerged as�the only candidate to�pose a serious challenge to�longtime Democratic frontrunner and former Secretary of�State Hillary Clinton.

�This agreement is obviously not all that many of�us would have liked but�it beats the alternative � a war with�Iran that could go on�for years.�

Sanders came out�in support of�the agreement with�Iran negotiated between�the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France with�Germany after�discussing the issue with�US President Barack Obama in�a telephone conversation, the statement said.

�If Iran does not live up�to the agreement, sanctions may be reapplied,� Sanders said.

�If Iran moves toward�a nuclear weapon, all available options remain on�the table.�

Sanders said Obama had addressed some of�his concerns about�the agreement.

�I think it is incumbent upon�us� to�give the negotiated agreement a chance to�succeed,� he said. �That is why I will support the agreement.�

However, Sanders urged the US government to�remain alert in�monitoring Iran�s compliance with�the agreement.

�The United States must do everything it can to�make certain that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon, that Israel is not threatened by�a nuclear Iran and that a nuclear arms race in�the region is avoided.�

By Sputnik