Ayatollah Khamenei: The Parliament Should Not Be Excluded from Reviewing the Nuclear Agreement

Iran's leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated on Thursday, September 12, that it is not in the interest of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) to be sidelined from the review of the JCPOA, and that "the representatives of the nation" must decide whether to reject or approve it. In a meeting with the president and members of the Assembly of Experts, Khamenei emphasized the necessity of the Parliament's involvement in the JCPOA discussions, adding, "I have no recommendations on how they should review it or whether to reject or approve it; it is the representatives of the nation who must decide." Khamenei's remarks have shifted the balance in favor of the Parliament, whose conservative members have repeatedly stated that the Vienna agreement between Iran and the six world powers must be approved by the Parliament. Ahmad Jannati, Secretary of the Guardian Council, and Mohammad Yazdi, head of the Assembly of Experts, have supported this view. Meanwhile, officials from Hassan Rouhani's government have claimed that there is no need for the Parliament to review the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) since the agreement does not require the president's signature and is not considered a treaty. In this context, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, spokesman for the eleventh government, stated on July 27 that "according to previous parliamentary resolutions, the agreement must be addressed within the framework of the Supreme National Security Council's reviews and decisions, which has already started its work, and the Parliament is not supposed to vote on this agreement." Khamenei also reiterated that if sanctions are to remain in place, then there will be no deal, emphasizing that the goal of negotiations was to lift sanctions. He criticized U.S. officials for maintaining the framework of sanctions, questioning the purpose of negotiations if that is the case. Khamenei stated that if Iran had made concessions during negotiations, it was primarily to lift sanctions, and otherwise, there would have been no need for negotiations. He asserted that if sanctions are not lifted, then there will be no deal, and this issue needs to be clarified. The U.S. Congress is currently reviewing the agreement, with members having until September 17 to vote either in favor or against it. While Republicans unanimously oppose the agreement, 34 Democratic senators have stated their support, which could allow the U.S. president to use his veto power if the agreement is rejected. Khamenei stressed that the issue for Iran has always been the lifting of sanctions, not their suspension, as stated by U.S. officials. He noted that Iranian officials believe U.S. statements are meant to convince domestic rivals, but he acknowledged that the internal conflict in the U.S. is real and that their disagreements are clear. Khamenei reiterated that the lifting of sanctions must happen immediately and that if sanctions are to be suspended, Iran's actions will also be limited to that level, not fundamental changes on the ground. The Islamic Consultative Assembly passed a bill on June 21 requiring the government to preserve nuclear achievements, stating that "the complete and immediate lifting of sanctions" must be included in the final agreement text regarding Iran's nuclear program and must occur on the day Iran fulfills its commitments. However, U.S. officials have stated that the lifting of sanctions is contingent upon the complete verification of Iran's actions by the International Atomic Energy Agency and will be gradual.