Hashemi Rafsanjani: Some Inside Say We Should Violate the JCPOA

The head of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, described the serious opposition of American Republicans, Israel, and 'Gulf Arabs' to the Vienna nuclear agreement and the 'collaboration' of some 'hardliners' within Iran with them as 'astonishing.' He stated, 'Some inside say we should violate the JCPOA.' According to ISNA news agency, on Wednesday, June 2, Rafsanjani criticized the 'unprofessional' remarks of the opponents of the Vienna nuclear agreement and their 'political view towards national interests.' He added, 'While the whole world admires Iran's diplomatic logic, some are trying to oppose it with slogan-based positions.' Rafsanjani also mentioned that some in Iran 'say we should violate the JCPOA' but 'do not realize that the backing of this document is based on the decisions of the system and years of negotiation and discussion.' The head of the Expediency Discernment Council had previously stated that if the achievements of the Vienna nuclear agreement were announced, its critics would be 'ashamed.' On March 2, 2015, before the Vienna nuclear agreement, Rafsanjani pointed out that the group known as 'hardliners' in Iran had become 'aligned' with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against the Iranian negotiating team. Despite the official endorsement of the Vienna nuclear agreement by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, he and his close associates continue to criticize this agreement. For instance, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, emphasized on April 6 that the Vienna nuclear agreement 'is never a document of honor' and that the people accepted it 'reluctantly.' In contrast, Mostafa Tajzadeh, the political deputy of the Ministry of Interior during Mohammad Khatami's presidency, criticized Khamenei's approach in an open letter from prison, stating that it is expected that the leader of the Islamic Republic 'takes the side of the majority of the people.' Meanwhile, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, emphasized on April 5 that the critics of the Vienna nuclear agreement 'seem to have forgotten that if there was no JCPOA, we could not export even a barrel of oil today.' Rafsanjani, in another part of his speech, addressed the Western parties, especially the United States, stating that if 'Iran sees any violation in the implementation of any clause of the JCPOA, it can violate according to that document.' Meanwhile, Hamid Baidi Nejad, the director general of Iran's Foreign Ministry, said on Tuesday evening at a student meeting that Donald Trump's statements, the Republican presidential candidate, 'only have an electoral propaganda aspect' and 'should not be taken seriously.' He added, 'Trump cannot abandon the JCPOA as it would be considered a violation of America's commitments, and in this case, America would face opposition from the international community and countries such as China, Russia, and the European community.' Previously, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, had stated that claims made during the U.S. election campaign should not be taken seriously. Donald Trump, the potential Republican candidate in the U.S. presidential election, has stated that his main priority is to cancel the nuclear agreement with Iran. In contrast, the Obama administration has warned that if the next president of the United States takes any action against the nuclear agreement with Iran, it will have dangerous consequences.