Government Officials Welcome FATF's Four-Month Extension for Iran

The Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) announcement of again refraining from punishing Iran and extending the deadline for Iran to implement reforms for four months was welcomed by officials of the Islamic Republic. Laya Joneidi, the legal deputy of Hassan Rouhani, stated in an interview with the government's news website on Saturday, October 20, that the extension by FATF is 'another success in the government's intelligent legal battle.' The Vice President emphasized, 'This extension is a significant help in preparing the necessary groundwork for creating a special financial and banking tool proposed by the European Union, which is an important part of the EU's proposal package.' Joneidi noted, 'Intensive negotiations with the FATF regarding the suspension of Iran's listing on the blacklist and, better yet, the extension of the removal of Iran from the list of countries under severe financial and banking restrictions and countermeasures were other aspects of this struggle based on international legal norms.' Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, also welcomed the FATF's announcement a few hours after it was made on Friday, calling it 'another success for the Islamic Republic's diplomacy.' However, Qasemi criticized the presence of 'some negative phrases' in the FATF statement, stating, 'FATF must avoid political motivations and focus solely on technical reports.' He continued, 'Most of the technical requests in the action plan related to Iran have been fully implemented, and the rest will be executed after going through the necessary legal processes related to the three remaining bills.' The spokesperson also assessed the 'stubbornness of the American delegation in opposing the extension for Iran' as stemming from the 'delusional and extremist policies of the White House.' On Friday, October 20, the FATF expressed regret that most of Iran's commitments remain unresolved, while extending Iran's suspension from the group's blacklist for another four months. Despite the government officials' welcome of this FATF decision, the Kayhan newspaper published in Tehran dedicated its front page to this issue, stating: 'The FATF deadline is not a celebration! The Guardian Council should not be deceived.' The Kayhan newspaper, which is considered a mouthpiece for the extremist conservative faction, wrote in its report: 'The four-month FATF deadline for Iran is actually a ploy to push the country towards more self-sanctioning, and the celebration of reformist claimants for increasing self-sanctioning is surprising!' On Friday, Ahmad Khatami, the Friday prayer leader in Tehran, also referred to the process of approving the four bills related to the FATF, stating: 'Forty years ago, this nation expelled thieves from the door with humiliation and disgrace; the world of imperialism wants to come back in through the window of international laws. Be cautious of the thieves that this nation has expelled with a slap, so they do not enter through the window of these international laws.' This member of the Assembly of Experts also urged both supporters and opponents of the FATF to speak to each other without anger and to provide arguments for their agreements and disagreements. In the end, the Kayhan newspaper described the four-month FATF deadline as 'merely a move to deceive the Guardian Council.' The Kayhan reporter described the government's four bills to satisfy the FATF as 'damaging bills' and wrote: 'Unfortunately, at a time when the people are waiting for the economic measures of the officials, the government has put all its eggs in the Foreign Ministry's basket, and the Foreign Ministry has focused all its efforts on the empty promises of the Europeans in the JCPOA and joining organizations like the FATF.' The Hassan Rouhani government sent four bills to the parliament to meet the FATF's demands, and despite the approval of all four bills in the parliament, only 'the bill to amend the law on combating the financing of terrorism' has received final approval from the Guardian Council. The 'bill for Iran's accession to the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism' or CFT was approved in parliament about two weeks ago, but several members of the Guardian Council and the Expediency Discernment Council have stated that they will not allow this bill to receive final approval.