Hosseini Shari'atmadari: Khamenei is Not Satisfied with the Text of the Nuclear Agreement

Hosseini Shari'atmadari, the representative of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic in the Kayhan newspaper, wrote on Saturday, August 24, in his 'Daily Note' regarding Ali Khamenei's opinion on the Vienna agreement that the Supreme Leader 'is fully aware of the deficiencies and disastrous consequences of the mentioned agreement, and it can be said with confidence that he is not at all satisfied with the prepared text.' In Iran, Ali Khamenei's view on the approval of the nuclear agreement with the 1+5 group is considered decisive, and this is the first time that an official of the Islamic Republic has publicly commented on Ayatollah Khamenei's opinion regarding this agreement. In his note in Kayhan, Shari'atmadari refers to Khamenei's speech during the Eid al-Fitr prayers this year, stating that the content of this speech 'leaves no doubt' that Ayatollah Khamenei 'is not at all satisfied with the prepared text [of the nuclear agreement].' These remarks by Hosseini Shari'atmadari come at a time when Ali Khamenei, although he has not publicly expressed his approval or disapproval of the nuclear agreement, has repeatedly supported the Iranian negotiating team. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of the Expediency Discernment Council, stated on August 4 that the Iranian nuclear negotiations began positively with Khamenei's approval before the recent presidential elections in Iran, saying that 'the critics were also unaware that they should oppose.' The term 'critics' refers to a group of critics of the nuclear negotiations who label Rouhani's government as 'compromising' regarding the nuclear agreement, and the Kayhan newspaper has also supported the positions of the 'critics' at various times regarding the nuclear agreement. The Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Supreme National Security Council are expected to announce their findings regarding the approval or rejection of the Vienna nuclear agreement in the coming days.