Advisor to Iran's Leader: Some Conditions Set by Ayatollah Khamenei for Implementing JCPOA Were Not Met

The international affairs advisor to Iran's leader and a member of the oversight board for the JCPOA criticized the silence of other members of the 1+5 group regarding what he termed 'American breach of promise,' stating that 'some of the nine conditions' set by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic 'were not met in the implementation of the JCPOA.' Meanwhile, the head of Iran's Expediency Council announced that 'the Israeli lobby and some Arab countries with abundant dollars' are seeking to prevent the JCPOA from succeeding, and within the country, 'a group is competing to convey the failure of the JCPOA.' Ali Akbar Velayati, the advisor to the leader of Iran, said in an interview with IRIB news agency on Tuesday, July 21, that some of the nine conditions set by the Supreme Leader regarding Iran's commitments in the Vienna nuclear agreement were not fulfilled, and the Iranian negotiating team 'did as much as they could to adhere to the conditions.' Mr. Velayati did not provide further details about the unmet conditions set by Ayatollah Khamenei. The Supreme Leader had confirmed the Vienna nuclear agreement on October 21, 2015, while announcing conditions for its implementation, including a threat that 'any imposition of sanctions at any level and for any reason,' including 'terrorism and human rights,' by the negotiating countries would be considered a violation of the Vienna nuclear agreement. In his speech on the first day of Farvardin, he also mentioned that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had told him, 'We could not maintain some red lines.' In another part of the interview, Mr. Velayati stated that after the Vienna nuclear agreement, 'every day for some reason' a resolution against the Islamic Republic is passed in the U.S. Senate or Congress, some of which are signed by the U.S. President. Referring to a resolution from the House of Representatives, he added, 'Even if Boeing sells to us, if the Senate and Congress pass a resolution with the next president that prevents the provision of services and parts, what should we do then?' Mr. Velayati also referred to the confiscation of two billion dollars of Iran's assets in the U.S., stating, 'For these reasons, we are worried about the future, even assuming they fulfill their commitments.' The House of Representatives, which has a Republican majority, has passed two new amendments aimed at preventing the sale of Boeing passenger planes to Iran. The advisor to the Supreme Leader also said that after the Vienna nuclear agreement, the U.S. does 'whatever it wants' against the Islamic Republic, and the other five members do 'nothing' in response to these actions. He added, 'Just as these six countries united against Iran to reach the JCPOA, each member is obliged to confront the U.S. if it violates its commitments.' Mr. Velayati also noted the concerns of European banks and companies about cooperating with Iran, adding that the U.S. Secretary of State, who 'is a clever person, speaks with a smile as if everything has been resolved.' The U.S. Secretary of State and his counterparts from Britain, Germany, and France, along with the EU's foreign policy chief, issued a statement on May 30 asking banks and traders not to overlook legal investment opportunities in Iran. These countries have also expressed readiness to dispel doubts in this regard. However, Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that sanctions against Iran have been lifted on paper, but the U.S. and European countries need to make 'more efforts' to eliminate the 'existing psychological atmosphere, especially regarding banking interactions.' Mr. Velayati also mentioned that U.S. officials had previously indicated in 'various forms' in their 'messages and discussions' that 'if the nuclear issue is resolved, they will no longer carry out their provocations against the Islamic Republic of Iran.' He stated that, however, during negotiations, they would raise other issues 'such as Iran's support for Hezbollah, Iran's missile capability, or human rights issues.' Iranian Foreign Ministry officials and U.S. officials have repeatedly emphasized that the Vienna nuclear agreement is solely related to Iran's nuclear program, and other issues between Iran and the U.S. remain unresolved. 'A group is competing to convey the failure of the JCPOA' On Tuesday, the head of Iran's Expediency Council also stated: 'A group is competing to convey the failure of the JCPOA, and it seems they do not know that weakening the government leads to weakening the system and undermines the trust and security of foreign investors for entering Iran.' According to ISNA news agency, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani characterized the claims that 'the JCPOA brought no benefit to Iran' as stemming from 'injustice' and 'political immorality.' He added, 'Because these groups, which actually have platforms and media, have not forgotten that Iranian ships were not allowed into world ports, ships from the world did not come to our ports, and foreign planes did not refuel our planes on foreign trips.' Mr. Rafsanjani also mentioned that 'the Israeli lobby and some Arab countries with abundant oil dollars are in the field to prevent the JCPOA agreements from succeeding.' He added, 'Internally, there is also a group that holds the same positions, and their view of the government's actions has gone beyond political disputes, to the extent that they try to distract the government every day with a bombshell news story instead of addressing important national issues.' Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani also described the 'serious opposition' of U.S. Republicans, Israel, and 'Gulf Arab states' to the Vienna nuclear agreement and the 'collaboration' of some 'hardliners' inside Iran with them as 'astonishing,' stating that 'some inside say we should violate the JCPOA.' Despite the official confirmation of the Vienna nuclear agreement by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, he and his close associates continue to criticize this agreement.