Iraqchi Says Iran's Response to Israel Will Be 'Precise and Calculated'

Iran's new foreign minister states that the Islamic Republic's response to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran will be 'precise and calculated' and will consider 'all aspects.' Abbas Iraqchi, in an interview published on Saturday, September 3, spoke of 'revenge' like other officials of the Islamic Republic, explaining: 'We will not fall into traps that may be laid out, and this revenge will be taken at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner, and there is no doubt about its essence.' Iran blames Israel for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the former political bureau chief of the extremist group Hamas, on July 31 in Tehran, asserting that 'blood vengeance' and 'revenge' are certain. Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh's death but has stated it will defend itself against any attacks from the Islamic Republic and its proxy groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon. The United States and the European Union have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. On August 21, a spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that the wait for Iran's response to Haniyeh's assassination might be prolonged. Meanwhile, in response to Iran's threats, the U.S. has increased its military personnel and equipment in the Middle East and intensified diplomatic pressures to achieve a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. This comes as Reuters reported on Saturday that General Charles Q. Brown, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, has made an unannounced trip to the Middle East, first arriving in Jordan. The purpose of this trip is to discuss ways to prevent escalating tensions that could lead to a broader conflict. Mr. Brown, who will also visit Egypt and Israel in the coming days, told Reuters that the strengthening of U.S. military capabilities is intended to send a 'strong message to prevent a wider conflict.' He also emphasized that U.S. military movements in the Middle East are to protect its forces in the region. On Saturday morning, Iran's foreign minister also rejected interpretations of his recent comments regarding the 'death' of the JCPOA, mentioning that there are 'other forms' for a nuclear agreement with the West. Mr. Iraqchi made this statement while visiting the shrine of Abdul Azim. He reiterated that 'the JCPOA in its current form is not revivable,' adding: 'But there will definitely be other forms for an agreement that we will pursue.' The foreign minister did not provide further details about these 'forms.' On Friday night, September 1, in his first television appearance since taking office, he stated that due to the changing international conditions since Donald Trump's withdrawal from the JCPOA, including the Ukraine war, 'the JCPOA in its current form is not revivable; in a sense, this document must be reopened, some parts of it must be changed, and this is not easy.' Iraqchi emphasized strengthening relations with China and Russia and 'managing conflict with the U.S.' He stated, 'When a document is reopened, gathering it again is a difficult task,' adding: 'We must enter the scene with a different perspective... new negotiations must take shape.' He did not consider the revival of the JCPOA to be 'an easy task,' but promised that the government and negotiating team would make 'every effort' in this regard. Iraqchi's statements on social media and even some domestic media in Iran were interpreted as the 'death of the JCPOA,' with the news website Khabar Online publishing the headline 'Iraqchi Declares the Death of the JCPOA.' This is not the first time Iraqchi has deemed the revival of the JCPOA in its current form impossible. Previously, Mohsen Fathi, the deputy head of the Social Commission of Parliament, told the media that Iraqchi had stated to representatives before receiving the parliament's vote of confidence that 'the JCPOA is not revivable.' Iraqchi also emphasized the implementation of the 'Strategic Action Law' passed by the previous parliament. The 'Strategic Action for the Removal of Sanctions' law was passed by the parliament and approved by the Guardian Council in December 2020. This law obligated Hassan Rouhani's government, amid nuclear negotiations with the West, to begin enriching uranium to 20% purity and suspend the implementation of the Additional Protocol. Iraqchi's statements in support of this law come as former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated during the election campaign of Mohsen Pezeshkian that 'the Strategic Action Law prevented the U.S. from returning to the JCPOA.' Former President Hassan Rouhani also deemed this parliamentary action 'the worst law in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran,' stating that the Strategic Action Law cost the country $300 billion. Since the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA during Donald Trump's presidency in 2018, this important agreement, aimed at limiting the scope of the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of some sanctions against Iran, has collapsed. Negotiations between Tehran and the remaining countries in the JCPOA, as well as the U.S., to revive this agreement have been stalled since the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests in 2022 and the proposal of Iran's 'extra-JCPOA' demands. Iran remains a member of this international agreement, but due to U.S. sanctions against it, it has reduced its commitments.