Criticism from Iranian Friday Prayer Leaders Against Trump and Domestic Supporters of the JCPOA

A number of Friday prayer leaders in Iran have severely criticized Donald Trump's approach to the Vienna nuclear agreement and have condemned officials and individuals who trust the U.S. and, as they say, have 'sugar-coated' the JCPOA. According to the state news agency IRNA, Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani, the Friday prayer leader of Tehran, stated in his sermon on October 13 that 'some naive people' believed Barack Obama's proposal for 'negotiation' with Iran, but with the 'enlightenment' of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, 'his lie became clear.' He added, 'Gradually, the velvet cover was removed, and with Trump's rise to power, the iron fist became visible.' The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran has previously referred to the statements of U.S. leaders about their willingness to resolve differences between the two countries, using the expression 'a velvet glove over an iron hand,' which implies a duality of appearance and reality in the behavior of the West, especially the United States. However, in recent years, reports have emerged regarding several letters from the U.S. President to the Supreme Leader and Ayatollah Khamenei's responses to some of these letters. For instance, the American newspaper Wall Street Journal reported on February 13, 2015, that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had responded to a letter from Barack Obama written in October (Mehr month). Two days after this report was published, Yadollah Javani, the former political deputy of the Revolutionary Guards, without mentioning the number of letters, stated that the letters from the U.S. President to the Supreme Leader were answered 'respectfully, reasonably, and logically.' The Friday prayer leader of Tehran also expressed hope that officials would 'stand firm and steadfast against the new bullying of the arrogant U.S. government by learning from bitter historical experiences and utilizing internal capacities as in the past.' Meanwhile, Ahmad Khatami, another Friday prayer leader of Tehran, on the evening of October 12, in a speech in the city of Razend, referring to the threats from the U.S. President, said that 'many have sugar-coated the JCPOA, but today those same sugar-coaters admit that the U.S. has broken its promises.' He also added, 'The Iranian negotiating officials intended to serve, and there should not be extremism, but the criminal U.S. committed a great betrayal and was not committed to the agreement.' Donald Trump, the U.S. President, is expected to announce his comprehensive strategy regarding Iran and his government's view on Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement in a few hours. Mr. Trump has previously stated multiple times that the Islamic Republic has not adhered to the 'spirit of the nuclear agreement,' which is to alleviate the West's concerns about threats from Iran, due to its continued missile activities. According to American officials, Donald Trump will harshly criticize Iran's policies in the Middle East in his speech today, but he will not raise the option of Washington exiting the nuclear agreement between Iran and the major world powers. The EU's foreign policy chief and officials from the three European countries involved in the Vienna nuclear agreement have previously emphasized the continuation of this agreement. However, Ahmad Alam al-Huda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, claimed that European countries, according to him, have 'raised Trump's madness' to force the Islamic Republic to concede, and 'they all benefit from it.' He also stated, without providing details, that some 'under the pretext' of the U.S. President's statements, 'have raised the price of the dollar and currency with their actions, lacking faith in God, themselves, and their land.' Mohammad Ali Al-Hashim, the Friday prayer leader of Tabriz, also said that the U.S. intends to 'drag Iran into negotiations over regional issues.' In recent days, following speculation about a possible U.S. action regarding the Vienna nuclear agreement, the price of the dollar has increased, and Iranian media have reported the formation of queues for dollar purchases. Iranian officials have warned in recent days, ahead of the U.S. President's speech, that any potential U.S. sanctions against the Revolutionary Guards will be considered a 'declaration of war' and will receive a 'suitable response.' Meanwhile, Youssef Tabatabai, the Friday prayer leader of Isfahan, said, 'The U.S. is wrong to label the Revolutionary Guards as terrorists. We also consider their army to be terrorists, and rest assured we will harm them.' Several other Friday prayer leaders in Iran, including the Friday prayer leader of Qom, have also criticized U.S. officials' statements against the Revolutionary Guards. The strong reaction of Friday prayer leaders to potential U.S. sanctions against the Revolutionary Guards comes despite their previous claims that Western sanctions against Iran were a 'blessing.' In this context, Trump will announce his strategy regarding Iran on Friday, with verbal attacks from U.S. officials against Iran occurring before Trump's decision on the JCPOA. Ali Larijani's remarks about the 'possibility of Iran's exit' from the JCPOA, and U.S. officials stating that Trump will not raise the option of exiting the JCPOA, come as China has once again called for the 'preservation' of the nuclear agreement with Iran.