Iranian President: Sanctions Will Be Lifted in January

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, on Wednesday, December 16, referred to the closure of the PMD file, stating that "this success will be a beginning for subsequent actions" and said that "sanctions will be lifted in January." This statement by Rouhani is a reaction to a resolution passed by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) the day before, which declared the file on the "Possible Military Dimensions" (PMD) of Iran's nuclear program closed. Speaking in a live television interview on the news network, the Iranian president emphasized that "the implementation of the cancellation of the Board of Governors' resolution and the lifting of six Security Council resolutions is contingent upon the commitments that Iran must fulfill." He stated that "these actions have paved the way for the implementation of the JCPOA" and added: "The other side has taken significant steps, and in response, Iran has also taken steps. The final steps will be taken in the next week or two for finalization, and we hope that steps will be taken by the other side next week, and we will also take those steps." Rouhani reiterated that "sanctions will be lifted in January," stating that this will "open the way for greater interaction with the world." He added: "We invite all economic activists, Iranians abroad, and domestic and foreign companies capable of cooperation to take advantage of the upcoming opportunity." Criticism and dissent "no longer have a place in the JCPOA." In the continuation of his conversation with the news network, Rouhani stated: "The era of criticism and dissent, which was valuable in its place, no longer has a place in the JCPOA, and we must all make good use of the created atmosphere for the growth of the country." He emphasized: "If the nuclear negotiations and agreements with the 1+5 had not occurred and the file had to be resolved solely through the agency and without the help of the 1+5, it might have continued for a long time." Rouhani's remarks refer to criticisms made by a group of principlists and individuals known as "worried" regarding the process of Iran's nuclear negotiations with the 1+5 group, who consider parts of the JCPOA's provisions contrary to the interests of the Islamic Republic. Rouhani: It has been clarified that Iran has never sought to build a nuclear bomb. In another part of his reaction to the IAEA Board of Governors' resolution, the Iranian president stated: "After nearly 14 years, it has become clear that our system is based on honesty with all its people and the entire world, and it has not lied, does not lie, and is faithful to its promises." He stated that "the agency and the Board of Governors have acknowledged that the Islamic Republic of Iran has never deviated from the peaceful path over the years," adding: "It has been clarified that Iran has never sought to build a nuclear bomb, as has been repeatedly stated, and the leadership has declared it as an important fatwa, and Iran has been faithful to its religious, moral, and ethical commitments and has never sought to build weapons of mass destruction." These statements by Hassan Rouhani come at a time when the International Atomic Energy Agency, in its final report regarding the potential military dimensions of Iran's past activities, announced that the Islamic Republic had conducted a wide range of activities related to the construction of a nuclear explosive device before the end of 2003. The report also states that these activities did not go beyond feasibility studies and scientific research, but some of these activities continued until 2009. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, also reacted to the agency's recent report, stating that "the December 2 report by the agency's director-general is consistent with what the United States has long said about the past of Iran's nuclear program... indicating that Iran was pursuing a coordinated program related to nuclear weapons activities until 2003 and continued such activities for at least several years after that." Western powers have accused Iran for over a decade of conducting tests related to nuclear weapons within the framework of its nuclear activities, which Iran has consistently denied; the resolution passed by the IAEA Board of Governors on Tuesday closed this accusation file.