Assembly of Experts: Iran's Accession to 'Palermo' is a Strategic Mistake

The sixth session of the Assembly of Experts issued a final statement warning that Iran's accession to international conventions related to money laundering could be a 'strategic mistake.' The Iranian government is seeking to pass bills related to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), aimed at combating money laundering, but two bills concerning Iran's accession to the Convention on Combating the Financing of Terrorism and the Palermo Convention on Transnational Organized Crime have faced obstacles from the Guardian Council, prompting the Expediency Discernment Council to intervene for a decision. The statement from the Assembly of Experts, published on Wednesday, March 13, states that joining these conventions 'if intended to provide an excuse for the enemy, is considered a strategic mistake.' It further warns of the 'danger of foreign infiltration in the strategic financial and non-financial interactions of the Islamic Republic with its allies' and urges the three branches of government in Iran and the Expediency Discernment Council to be vigilant against 'the plots of enemies.' This assembly's comments come at a time when, according to the Iranian Constitution, the role of the Assembly of Experts includes 'selecting and appointing the leader,' 'supervising the continuity of the leader's conditions,' and 'regulating the internal bylaws' of the assembly. The Expediency Discernment Council has held several sessions to review the bills but has reached no conclusion, and ultimately, voting on the two bills related to combating money laundering and financing terrorism has been postponed until next year. These bills have faced opposition from factions of conservatives and Friday prayer leaders, including Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, and Kazem Sedighi, the Friday prayer leader of Tehran. Additionally, Gholamreza Mesbahi Moghadam, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, has stated that the Islamic Republic must create 'cover companies in Iran and abroad' to circumvent sanctions and that by joining these conventions, it would be forced to 'cease such transactions.' The FATF has given the Islamic Republic several opportunities to pass laws and comply with global standards to be removed from its blacklist. In its latest meeting, the group extended Iran's suspension from the blacklist for the fourth time, stating that it would be extended until June, four months from now.