Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati: Ultimately, We Must Burn the JCPOA

Ahmad Jannati, the Secretary of the Guardian Council, harshly criticized Hassan Rouhani's government on Thursday, January 17, for not withdrawing from the nuclear agreement with global powers, stating that they ultimately must burn the JCPOA. Jannati's remarks, reported by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), acknowledge the economic turmoil in the country and warn against the continuation of this situation. He stated, "The living conditions of some people are not good... The government must improve the economic situation of the people by eliminating unnecessary costs and selling assets it possesses... If people become hopeless, they will no longer participate in the scene." The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted in a report published in October that Iran's economic growth would reach negative 3.6 percent in 2019, with inflation expected to be 34.1 percent. Iran's economic conditions, especially in the past year, have led to widespread protests, including those in December of last year. These protests, which affected over a hundred cities in Iran, initially targeted the economic policies of Hassan Rouhani's government but quickly shifted focus to the entire Islamic Republic system and its leadership, Ali Khamenei. The U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and the re-imposition of sanctions against Iran have complicated the situation in the country, and now Ahmad Jannati, a fundamentalist cleric of the Islamic Republic, emphasizes Iran's reciprocal action. Jannati referred to Ali Khamenei's remarks two years ago, where he stated, "If the Americans tear up the JCPOA, we will burn it," and noted, "We should complain to the officials about why they did not do this (burning the JCPOA); ultimately, they must do this." Khamenei's comments were directed at Donald Trump's election campaign promises, where he stated he would tear up the agreement if he won the U.S. presidential election. However, Europe opposed Trump's decision and urged Iran to remain in the JCPOA. Nonetheless, Iranian officials claim that Europe has not practically done anything to counter U.S. sanctions. The special financial mechanism proposed by Europe to bypass U.S. sanctions has yet to yield results after months. Although the official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, reported on Thursday that a spokesperson for the European Union stated that the special financial channel for trade with Iran is "on the verge of being launched." Jannati commented on these developments, stating, "Without a doubt, Europe is not better than the U.S.; they are also just wasting time regarding the JCPOA... Relying on Europe is sheer folly." Iran had previously warned that if it could not benefit from the economic gains of the JCPOA, it would not continue the current situation.