Continued Reactions to Recent Remarks by Rouhani: Do Not Link All Problems to Negotiations

Several officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in separate comments reacting to recent statements by President Hassan Rouhani, criticized linking Iran's economic problems and issues to nuclear negotiations and sanctions. Among them, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani, head of the judiciary, on Wednesday, June 20, 2015, described the connection of all of Iran's economic problems to nuclear negotiations and the lifting of sanctions as a 'strategic mistake.' The head of Iran's judiciary stated: 'To speak in such a way in front of the enemy that all the problems of the country are attributed to the sanctions and that the country is completely stagnant due to these sanctions and has no way forward is wrong.' A few days prior, Hassan Rouhani had stated that 'the oppressive sanctions must be lifted for investment to come in and to solve the issues of the environment, youth employment, industry, society, and drinking water for the people, to increase water resources and to revive banks.' These remarks by Rouhani prompted Larijani, without mentioning the president's name, to call for 'abstaining from repeating' this topic in various forums. However, criticism of Rouhani's statements was not limited to the head of the judiciary. According to the Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, Ebrahim Raisi, the Attorney General of Iran, also described 'trusting others than God' as 'an injustice to the system and society' and emphasized that 'in the Islamic Republic's framework, there is no place for trusting the enemy and it is not compatible with it.' Raisi also, without naming the president, stated: 'Those who say that even our drinking water depends on negotiations, I consider this a strategic mistake.' He even went so far as to describe such talk as 'giving a signal to the enemy.' In a separate comment, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, head of the Assembly of Experts, on Thursday at a session of the assembly's board emphasized that 'the principle of negotiations' is approved by the system and leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but the government should not tie all daily issues to negotiations. Following these comments, the Fars news agency posed the question to mainly principlist political officials regarding the relationship between economic, social, and political problems and the outcome of nuclear negotiations. Among them, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, head of the Basij Organization, responded to Fars's question by saying: 'Lifting sanctions will not solve all problems, and every economist is aware that not all economic problems can be solved by lifting sanctions.' The head of the Basij Organization continued: 'All economists in the country agree that lifting sanctions has no impact on the country's economy.' Previously, several economic experts and analysts had also confirmed the positive impact of lifting sanctions on Iran's economy while advising the government and officials not to exaggerate the positive effects of reaching a conclusion in nuclear negotiations and lifting sanctions. According to these experts, part of Iran's economic problems and limitations is the result of structural issues and mismanagement that are unrelated to sanctions or nuclear negotiations. The seventh round of negotiations between Iranian representatives and the P5+1 countries for drafting a comprehensive nuclear agreement is currently taking place in Vienna. This round of negotiations will conclude on Friday, June 22, with a public meeting of the deputy foreign ministers of Iran and the P5+1 to review the drafting process and complete the comprehensive agreement text. Negotiators are working to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement by the deadline of July 1.