Government Criticism of 'Demanding and Contradictory' Positions Against the JCPOA

The Iranian government has reacted to a statement from the Assembly of Experts, which demanded an apology from President Hassan Rouhani due to the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. The government criticized those who, instead of apologizing for their past 'positions,' are 'demanding' accountability. Following the announcement of the United States' exit from the nuclear agreement with world powers by President Donald Trump, the Assembly of Experts claimed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accepted the JCPOA 'solely' due to the government's insistence. The statement demanded that Rouhani 'sincerely and explicitly' apologize to the Iranian people for the 'damages incurred by the JCPOA.' According to the Assembly of Experts, these 'damages' resulted from the 'failure to adhere to the red lines' set by the Supreme Leader, including obtaining necessary guarantees from the 1+5 and not adhering to reciprocal and step-by-step actions. Meanwhile, the Iranian negotiation team has repeatedly stated that all negotiation stages were conducted under the direct supervision of the Supreme Leader and that negotiations with the U.S. began months before Rouhani's administration and during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency. The government's information council also issued a statement in response to some positions against the government regarding the JCPOA, stating: 'Those who should apologize for their past incorrect positions are demanding accountability for national achievements.' The statement added that these individuals are 'unwilling to answer the question of how much damage the unjust sanctions have inflicted on the Iranian people and what they have done to prevent these damages in a timely manner.' The government accused these unnamed individuals of 'never being willing to discuss their inability to provide alternatives to the JCPOA and sincerely apologize to the nation for their incorrect approach and sabotage of the country's progress.' The statement noted that these individuals have fallen into 'contradiction' and, in a clear conflict, have been both concerned about the U.S. presence in the JCPOA and complain about the U.S. withdrawal from it. In addition to the government's statement, which deemed 'attacks on the government and the destruction of the country's achievements' as 'harmonizing' with the 'enemy,' the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament also reacted to the Assembly of Experts' statement against the JCPOA. Ali Motahari, in a letter to Ahmad Jannati, the head of the Assembly of Experts, accused the statement of 'contradiction.' Mr. Motahari wrote to Ahmad Jannati that 'in this letter, you have accepted that the JCPOA was signed with the Leader's approval, and on the other hand, you have asked the President to apologize to the people for the damages incurred by the JCPOA.' He pointed out a part of the Assembly's statement that called for withdrawal from the JCPOA in the absence of 'serious and firm guarantees' from the Europeans, labeling it a 'religious and legal obligation' of the diplomatic apparatus, and reminded Ahmad Jannati, 'Do you determine the diplomatic apparatus's religious obligation or does the Supreme Leader? Also, do you determine the diplomatic apparatus's legal obligation or does the Parliament?' Mr. Motahari further identified 'interference of various institutions in each other's work' as one of Iran's problems and reminded Jannati of the Assembly's legal duties, adding that 'intervening in matters like the JCPOA and determining obligations for the President and the Parliament is not within the Assembly's responsibilities.' After the announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and the Supreme Leader's strong reaction, this issue has become a pretext for attacking Hassan Rouhani's government. A day after the U.S. announcement, several hardline representatives of the Parliament reacted by burning the U.S. flag and a paper representing the JCPOA in the Parliament's public session. This incident drew significant criticism and was repeated during Friday prayers. Meanwhile, the head of the Hope faction in Parliament criticized this action, stating that the JCPOA was approved by the Ninth Parliament, and burning a law passed by Parliament is 'a sign of disrespect to the dignity and status of representatives and Parliament.' Abdul Karim Hosseinzadeh also defended the symbolic presentation of a 'valuable copy of the JCPOA' to the leadership by Alireza Rahimi, another representative, for 'the care and protection of this international document.' Mostafa Kavehbian, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Parliament, also accused those who are 'happy' about the JCPOA's collapse of having 'no difference from Trump.' According to Mr. Kavehbian, 'Trump is happy about tearing up the JCPOA, and those who, like Trump, are happy about the collapse of this international agreement are like Trump. Anyone who says the JCPOA was wrong from the start is no different from Trump.' Following the Supreme Leader's remarks about the necessity of obtaining 'practical guarantees' from European countries regarding Iran's interests if it continues to adhere to the JCPOA, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has begun his travels to consult with other countries involved in the JCPOA. President Hassan Rouhani also stated once again that if the remaining five countries in the JCPOA 'guarantee that Iran's interests will be realized with the continuation of the JCPOA,' this agreement will remain despite the U.S. withdrawal. However, he mentioned in a phone call with British Prime Minister Theresa May that the European Union has a limited time to preserve the nuclear agreement. On Sunday, Abbas Araghchi, the political deputy of the Foreign Minister of Iran, was also quoted as saying that 'the Europeans have 60 days to provide the necessary guarantees regarding the protection of Iran's interests and compensating for the damages caused by the U.S. withdrawal.' This was announced by Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, the spokesman of the National Security Commission of Parliament, during a briefing on the Commission's meeting with Mr. Araghchi.