Ali Larijani Criticizes the U.S. for 'Inaction and Breach of Trust' Regarding the JCPOA

The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament accused the U.S. of 'inaction' and 'breach of trust' in implementing the Vienna nuclear agreement and warned that if 'Iran's economic issues are not resolved according to the JCPOA', the 'internal conditions' of the country may 'change' and there may be a 'revision' of this agreement. In an interview with the Al-Mayadeen network in Lebanon published on Saturday, June 15, by Iranian news agencies including ISNA, Ali Larijani stated that the Islamic Republic seeks the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement 'through the designated pathways' in the agreement and does not intend to solve problems through 'irrational means'. Larijani emphasized that the 'inaction' and 'breach of trust' by U.S. officials in implementing the Vienna nuclear agreement have prevented banks in the U.S. from 'interacting with Iranian banks'. The Iranian Parliament Speaker warned that if 'Iran's economic issues are not resolved according to the JCPOA, it means the Americans have not adhered to their agreements, which may lead to a revision'. He added: 'We are currently seeking to resolve disputes through the pathways outlined in the JCPOA, but internal conditions in Iran can change'. Larijani also warned that if U.S. officials 'exploit the situation and act cunningly, the Iranians will respond'. He added: 'Of course, it is not necessary to say what action we will take, but we have thought about various ways'. Some Iranian officials have accused the U.S. in recent months of failing to fulfill its commitments under the Vienna nuclear agreement. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, also referred to the U.S. as 'untrustworthy and unreliable' and stated that the Islamic Republic has adhered to its commitments under the Vienna nuclear agreement, but the other side has 'backtracked'. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, on Tuesday, June 11, identified banking issues as the 'only obstacle' to economic cooperation between Iran and Europe and urged the U.S. to eliminate 'psychological barriers' in this regard and assure European banks that they would not be penalized for cooperating with Iran. The U.S. Secretary of State and his counterparts from Britain, Germany, France, and the EU's foreign policy chief, on May 30, issued a statement urging banks and traders not to overlook legal investment opportunities in Iran. In this context, Larijani stated: 'Mr. Kerry says we have issued a statement, and these banks are not willing to engage, while we know that in the political realm, they issue statements and do other things behind the scenes'. He emphasized that U.S. officials are 'to blame' for the unresolved issue of Iran's banking transactions and 'if this issue is not resolved, it will certainly create problems for them'. Some Iranian government officials, including Abbas Araghchi, Deputy Foreign Minister, have stated that besides the concerns of European banks about sanctions, 'weak financial discipline' of Iranian banks in not cooperating with European banks has also been 'not insignificant', and the Central Bank is working to resolve this issue. Meanwhile, Hamid Tehranfar, former deputy supervisor of the Central Bank, reported on March 6, 2016, that the Central Bank had requested the International Monetary Fund to express its opinion on Iran's banking regulations regarding anti-money laundering to alleviate the concerns of other countries, and the Fund would express its opinion in 2018. Regarding Mr. Trump, 'we still do not have a clear assessment'. The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament stated that Barack Obama, the U.S. President, 'initially created hope, especially regarding relations with Muslims, which later turned into despair'. He also announced that 'we still do not have a clear assessment of Mr. Trump because his statements have been inconsistent and unclear'. Larijani, referring to two letters from Barack Obama to Ayatollah Khamenei, added: 'Iran's approach was realistic and aimed to test them, but when the events of 2009 occurred, they suddenly changed their stance and showed hostile behavior, indicating that they lack balance in their political behavior'. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic stated in a letter to the Iranian President for the official confirmation of the Vienna nuclear agreement that Obama had written in two letters that he 'does not intend to overthrow the Islamic Republic'. However, he also stated that the U.S. President's statements in those two letters 'quickly contradicted by his support for internal seditions and financial assistance to the opponents of the Islamic Republic'. According to reports, Barack Obama wrote several letters to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic in past years, including before the 2009 presidential election, and Khamenei responded to some of these letters. 'If the people do not want Bashar al-Assad, we have no problem with that'. In this interview, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament accused Saudi officials of 'extremism' and 'immaturity' in their diplomatic behavior and stated that this country and Turkey are 'harming themselves' with their actions in the region. He added: 'Our entire effort is to resolve regional disputes with countries like Turkey and Saudi Arabia through dialogue, even if we need to take steps for reform'. Iran's policies in the region, including in Syria and Yemen, have been in contrast to the policies of some regional countries, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia, in recent years. While Tehran is considered a supporter of Bashar al-Assad, Saudi Arabia supports groups opposing the Syrian government. Meanwhile, Saudi officials, the U.S., and their Western allies consider Bashar al-Assad the source of the crisis in Syria and believe that his continued rule cannot help resolve the crisis in the country. However, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament described efforts to remove Bashar al-Assad as 'a form of international dictatorship' and added that 'if the people do not want Bashar al-Assad, we have no problem with that', but 'we oppose sitting down and saying whether Bashar al-Assad should stay or go'. He added: 'The discussion is that within 18 months, a unity government should be formed, and then elections should take place, in which case Bashar al-Assad can also run like the others'.