US President Barack Obama said that the United States and its partners will continue to uphold commitments as long as Iran continues to abide by the nuclear deal.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)�� US pledge to�continue upholding its obligations of�the Iran nuclear agreement signed one year ago if the Islamist nation does likewise, President Barack Obama said in�a statement on�Thursday.

"The United States and our negotiating partners have also fully implemented our commitments to�lift nuclear-related sanctions, and we will continue to�uphold our commitments as�long as�Iran continues to�abide by�the deal," Obama said.

Since the deal was signed, Iran has sent nearly all of�its enriched uranium to�other nations, dismantled two thirds of�its uranium enrichment centrifuges, dismantled a plutonium nuclear reactor and permitted intrusive international inspections, the statement explained.

US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz emphasized in�a separate statement that the deal is intended to�ensure that Iran�s nuclear program is�� and will remain�� a peaceful one.

"The international community will have more than�enough time to�respond if Iran�s program proves otherwise," Moniz said.

On July 14, 2015, the P5+1 group of�countries, consisting of�the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom plus Germany, and Iran, reached the JCPOA to�ensure the peaceful nature of�Iran�s nuclear program in�return for�sanctions relief.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed in�January 2016 that Iran had fulfilled its obligations under�the nuclear pact, prompting Brussels to�scale down�nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions.

Critics of�the deal say that the agreement will allow Iran to�continue developing atomic bombs after�a decade.

By Sputnik News