Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi hopes the Iranian deal will survive, but warns the program will be in a stronger position than ever if not.

“If we have to go back and withdraw from the nuclear deal, we certainly do not go back to where we were before. We will be standing on a much, much higher position,” Salehi said in an interview to AP.

According to the source, “Salehi spoke about Iran’s efforts to build a new facility at Natanz to produce more-advanced centrifuges, which enrich uranium by rapidly spinning uranium hexafluoride gas.”

Salehi criticized US withdraw from the Iranian deal.

“I think (Trump) is on the loser’s side because he is pursuing the logic of power. He thinks that he can, you know, continue for some time but certainly I do not think he will benefit from this withdrawal, certainly not.”