Ahmad Jannati Warns Against Supporters of Relations with the U.S. Entering the Assembly of Experts

Ahmad Jannati, the Secretary of the Guardian Council, has warned that a faction that has diverged from the leadership, particularly regarding relations with the United States, is attempting to infiltrate the Assembly of Experts, implicitly threatening that the qualifications of such candidates will "necessarily not be approved." Iranian news agencies reported on Wednesday evening, September 11, Jannati's remarks at the closing session of the Assembly of Experts, where he emphasized the "continuation of U.S. enmity towards the Islamic Republic" and warned that the faction diverging from the Velayat-e Faqih and leadership, "including in relation to the U.S.," aims to weaken the leadership's power by infiltrating the Assembly. Jannati stressed the importance of "protecting the achievements of the revolution" and added that "we must not allow a naive few to extend a hand of friendship towards the enemy and the U.S., and weaken the system and the position of Velayat-e Faqih by entering institutions such as the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts." Since the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic emphasized at the beginning of September during a meeting with the Iranian cabinet that "the enmity of Zionists and Americans with the revolution and the Islamic Republic has not diminished," this issue has become a recurring theme among the supporters of Ayatollah Khamenei. Close associates of Khamenei, including the commander of the Revolutionary Guards and several other conservative figures, have commented on this matter. For instance, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, recently stated in a press conference that the U.S. is "still the Great Satan" and that its enmity with the Islamic Republic "has not only not diminished but has increased." Jafari warned that after the Vienna nuclear agreement, there is a "concern" that some might think that U.S. enmity with the Islamic Republic has "ended or decreased" and added that the U.S. "wants to enter with new methods and tools today." Ali Akbar Velayati, an international advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei, also stated shortly after the Supreme Leader's remarks about the "necessity of clarifying the statements of American officials" that "Iran has never been optimistic about American officials." Jannati also emphasized that the Guardian Council has a heavy responsibility regarding the qualification of candidates in the elections for the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts. He mentioned the intention of the pro-U.S. faction to enter the Assembly of Experts, stating that "the Guardian Council is legally obliged to ensure that candidates meet the necessary conditions, including being known for their religiousness, trustworthiness, moral competence, political and social insight, and familiarity with current issues, and anyone lacking these conditions will necessarily not be approved." Thus, the Secretary of the Guardian Council has implicitly indicated that supporters of relations with the U.S. will not be qualified based on these criteria. Among the active factions in Iran's political scene, figures known as moderates, represented by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Hassan Rouhani, have recently stated that establishing relations between Iran and the U.S. is not impossible. For instance, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who heads the Expediency Discernment Council, stated in July this year that reopening the U.S. embassy in Tehran is "not impossible," although he believes this issue "depends on the behavior of both sides." Rafsanjani's qualifications were previously rejected by the Guardian Council during the 2013 presidential election, but regarding the reasons for his disqualification, Abbas Ali Kadkhodai, a senior advisor to the Guardian Council, stated in January 2015 that it was not solely due to Rafsanjani's "advanced age." Rafsanjani served as the Deputy Chairman of the Assembly of Experts for three decades and later chaired the Assembly for several years after the death of Ayatollah Meshkini in 2007. However, dissatisfaction from Ayatollah Khamenei and the anger of conservatives over his positions regarding the controversial 2009 elections led conservatives to be reluctant to continue Rafsanjani's role in managing the Assembly of Experts. Now, with the Secretary of the Guardian Council's stance on supporters of relations with the U.S., it is believed that he and other moderate figures may face difficulties in participating in the Assembly of Experts elections. The reformist faction also considers the upcoming Assembly elections important, but at the same time predicts that due to the nature of the qualification approvals, "a significant portion of reformist candidates" will face challenges in entering the elections. Meanwhile, amid political disputes over the Guardian Council's supervisory oversight, the Assembly of Experts emphasized in its final statement the implementation of supervisory oversight in the qualification assessments.