Government Spokesman: Parliament Will Not Vote on Nuclear Agreement

Despite the approval of a law in the Iranian Parliament for the "presentation" of the Vienna nuclear agreement to this body and the emphasis by some representatives on the necessity of presenting this agreement as a bill, the government spokesman said on Tuesday that "the Parliament is not supposed to vote on this agreement." According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the spokesman for the Iranian government, stated on Tuesday, August 6, that the request from some members of Parliament to present the Vienna nuclear agreement as a bill is "a new statement." He added, "According to previous resolutions of Parliament, the agreement must be addressed within the framework of the reviews and decisions of the Supreme National Security Council, which has begun its work." He further stated, "I do not know what it means for an agreement to be presented in Parliament as a bill, while we believe that Parliament should receive the necessary reports." Meanwhile, according to Mehr News Agency, Mr. Nobakht emphasized that "the Parliament is not supposed to give a positive or negative vote on the Vienna nuclear agreement." Based on a law titled "Obligation of the Government to Preserve Achievements and Nuclear Rights," which was approved by the Iranian Parliament and also received approval from the Guardian Council on Wednesday, July 3, the "result of negotiations" regarding Iran's nuclear program "must be presented to Parliament for compliance with the Constitution and legal resolutions." Meanwhile, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, presented the text of the agreement between Iran and the 1+5 group to Parliament on Tuesday, July 30, and Parliament formed a "special" commission to review this agreement. On the same day, Ahmad Tavakoli, a representative from Tehran, stated that the text of the Vienna nuclear agreement should be submitted to Parliament as a bill. However, Elham Aminzadeh, the legal deputy of the Iranian President, stated last Tuesday that whether it is appropriate for the Islamic Consultative Assembly to approve the nuclear agreement is under review in the "Supreme National Security Council and also in the legal deputy of the presidency." Meanwhile, some members of Parliament have announced that there may not be a need for the Parliament to approve the Vienna nuclear agreement. For instance, Mohammad Saleh Jokar, a member of the National Security Commission, stated on July 29 that if the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic approves the generalities of this agreement, there is no need for Parliament's approval. On the same day, Javad Karimi Qodosi, a representative from Mashhad, said that if the Supreme National Security Council approves the Vienna agreement and this resolution is also approved by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, "then the matter is settled." The government spokesman also reported on Tuesday that an "extraordinary meeting" of the government's economic team with the Iranian President was held to review the conditions following the nuclear agreement. According to Mr. Nobakht, Hassan Rouhani, the President, emphasized in this meeting that the Iranian economy "should not become a market for foreign goods at all." According to the state news agency IRNA, the government spokesman mentioned "investment," "cooperation in technology," and collaboration to "create markets for the export of non-oil goods from Iran" as three demands from foreign economic delegations, stating that "we are not excited about any delegation's arrival and we have the power of choice." Following the announcement of the Vienna nuclear agreement, European companies, especially German, French, Italian, Spanish, and British, have announced plans to send economic delegations to assess the situation and prepare for a return after the lifting of sanctions. In response to former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's complaint against Eshaq Jahangiri, the first vice president of Hassan Rouhani, the government spokesman said on Tuesday, "We would be happy if he takes responsibility for all matters, including Babak Zanjani and other actions he has taken." According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), he referred to Eshaq Jahangiri's responsibility in holding meetings of the Economic Corruption Combat Headquarters, stating that his information regarding the "violations" of the previous government is "very extensive." Mr. Nobakht emphasized that the reported cases of violations by the previous government are just one of "thousands" of such violations. Meanwhile, according to IRNA, he stated, "Certainly, any case of violations announced by the government is nothing but one of many cases; because we did not intend and do not intend to publicize these issues." Adel Heydari, Ahmadinejad's lawyer, has reported filing a complaint against Eshaq Jahangiri due to his statements regarding the economic corruption of the previous government, and Mr. Jahangiri's office has also announced that it welcomes this complaint.