Iran's Reaction to Trump's Demands Regarding the JCPOA: We Accept No Changes

In the first official reaction of the Islamic Republic to the recent demands of the U.S. President regarding the JCPOA, the Iranian Foreign Ministry emphasized in a statement on Saturday, January 13, that "neither now nor in the future will any changes" to the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement, be accepted. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, stated on Friday that he extended the suspension of nuclear sanctions against Iran for the "last time" and expressed his desire to amend the agreement made by six world powers with Iran known as the JCPOA. On the same day, the U.S. Treasury Department continued its unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic, sanctioning 14 individuals and entities, including Sadegh Larijani, the head of the judiciary. Trump also warned on Friday that "either the catastrophic flaws in this agreement must be corrected or the United States will withdraw from this agreement." In response to this condition imposed by the U.S., Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, stated hours after the suspension of sanctions was extended that the nuclear agreement between Iran and the six world powers is not subject to renegotiation. Now, according to the official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, on Saturday, the Foreign Ministry reiterated this point in an official statement, saying: "The Islamic Republic... will accept no changes to this agreement, neither now nor in the future, and will not allow any connection to be established between the JCPOA and any other issue." The Foreign Ministry's reference to "any other issue" pertains to Trump's mention of Tehran's missile activities. On Friday, Trump emphasized that any resolution from Congress must state that "the long-range missile program and the nuclear weapons program are inseparable, and the development and testing of missiles by Iran must be subjected to strict sanctions." The Trump administration and its supporters argue that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not adhering to the "spirit of the JCPOA" due to its missile tests and activities in the region, including in Syria and Yemen. The Iranian Foreign Ministry further stated that the U.S. government "like other members of the JCPOA is obliged to fulfill all its commitments, and if it shirks its obligations under false pretenses, it must fully accept the consequences of that." The statement also referred to the new U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic, describing the reasons for these sanctions as "illegal, outdated, and ridiculous excuses." The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday sanctioned the head of the Iranian judiciary along with 13 other individuals and entities for human rights violations and support for Iran's missile and military program. According to the U.S. Treasury website, Sadegh Larijani, Gholamreza Ziaei, the head of Rajaei Shahr prison, and several other entities were included in the U.S. sanctions list. The Foreign Ministry directly referred to the inclusion of the judiciary head's name in the new sanctions list, stating: "The hostile and illegal action of the Trump regime in placing the name of Ayatollah Amoli Larijani... in the so-called new U.S. sanctions list has crossed all behavioral red lines in the international community." These new sanctions also prompted a reaction in the Islamic Consultative Assembly on Saturday. According to IRNA, the deputy chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission condemned the imposition of new sanctions and the "inclusion of 14 individuals and entities" in the new sanctions list against Iran, announcing an extraordinary meeting of this commission on the matter. The Supreme Council of Cyberspace and the National Cyberspace Center, support and modernization of Iran's helicopters and aviation industries, and Rajaei Shahr prison were also sanctioned on Friday.