212 Members of Parliament Demand Publication of Iran's 'Fact Sheet' from Nuclear Agreement

According to Fars News Agency, 212 members of the Iranian Parliament on Sunday, April 22, wrote a letter to the Iranian Foreign Ministry requesting the publication of the 'fact sheet' regarding Iran's agreement with the 1+5 group in Lausanne, Switzerland. Meanwhile, according to ISNA, Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament, stated that the representatives have signed a 'petition' for the swift publication of the Iranian fact sheet. The state news agency IRNA also reported that Jawad Karimi Qodousi, a representative from Mashhad, who had previously been reported to have had a verbal altercation with Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, during a session of the National Security Commission regarding the Lausanne agreement, has collected signatures for this letter. Previously, some critics of the Lausanne nuclear agreement, including several conservative members of Parliament, had stated that the texts announced by Iran and the United States regarding this agreement were different and had called for the Iranian Foreign Ministry to provide the text of this agreement. Meanwhile, Ahmad Tavakoli, a representative from Tehran, also called on the government to pay attention to media propaganda and added, 'How did the Americans immediately, with readiness, disseminate their interpretation of the joint statement to everyone, even internally, stirring up internal disputes, while our Foreign Ministry has still not said whether the Persian fact sheet will be published or not?' Additionally, according to Tasnim News Agency, Ahmad Bakhshai, a member of the National Security Commission, stated that 'the publication of the Iranian fact sheet could significantly help build trust and transparency between the negotiating team and the people.' This comes as Kamaleddin Pirmo’men, a representative from Ardabil, criticized the letter from the members of Parliament for the publication of the Iranian fact sheet and called for allowing the nuclear negotiating team and the government to conduct the nuclear negotiations 'with authority and discretion.' Previously, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, stated on Wednesday, April 19, that the fact sheet of Iran's agreement with the 1+5 group in Lausanne had been prepared and would be published if deemed appropriate by Mohammad Javad Zarif. Meanwhile, Abbas Araghchi, a senior member of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team, stated that 'Iran's fact sheet' is the same as the 'detailed' remarks by the Foreign Minister regarding the Lausanne agreement, and the Foreign Ministry currently 'has no intention of providing a written document on this matter.' Mr. Araghchi also mentioned, 'But if necessary, we will do so.' One of the points of contention between Iranian officials and the United States regarding the Lausanne agreement pertains to the timing of the lifting of sanctions on Iran. According to the fact sheet from the U.S. State Department regarding the Lausanne nuclear agreement, U.S. and EU sanctions will be suspended after the International Atomic Energy Agency confirms that Iran has taken all its nuclear steps. If at any time Iran fails to meet its commitments, these sanctions will be reinstated. This fact sheet also states that all United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iran's nuclear program will be lifted simultaneously with the completion of Iran's nuclear actions to address all key concerns (enrichment, Fordow, Arak, possible military dimensions, and transparency). Meanwhile, Mohammad Javad Zarif stated on April 15 that the U.S. is obligated to lift sanctions against Iran following the UN Security Council resolution. Iranian officials, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, have emphasized that Western sanctions against Iran should be lifted on the same day that a potential nuclear agreement is implemented. However, according to Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, the Obama administration opposes lifting sanctions on the same day that a potential nuclear agreement is implemented. Meanwhile, Laurent Fabius, the French Foreign Minister, stated on Thursday, April 20, that the remarks of the leader of the Islamic Republic regarding the immediate lifting of all sanctions indicate that much work remains to be done to reach a final agreement so that no issues remain ambiguous.