AP--President Hassan Rouhani says Iran would be willing not to abandon the nuclear deal even if the United States pulls out, providing the European Union offers guarantees that Iran would keep benefiting from the accord.


Rouhani’s remarks came ahead of President Donald Trump’s decision expected later this week on whether to pull America out of the landmark deal between Iran and world powers. Rouhani spoke during a meeting with officials in the northeastern city of Mashhad on Monday.


He says a U.S. pullout would be a “strategic mistake.”


He says that “what we want for the deal is that it’s preserved and guaranteed by the non-Americans” — a reference to other signatories of the 2015 agreement.


He added in this case “then the U.S. pullout will be ok.”


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