IRGC Commander: Concerns Exist Regarding Security Council Resolution

Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on Saturday, July 27, in his first reaction to the nuclear agreement in Vienna, stated: "There are some concerns that are justified." According to "Tasnim", the IRGC commander made these remarks during the Eid al-Fitr prayer while sitting next to Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, saying: "I was just discussing this with him, and particularly there are concerns regarding the resolution that we hope will be resolved by God's grace." Jafari's reference is to the draft resolution regarding the nuclear agreement between six world powers and Iran, which is set to be voted on in the Security Council on Tuesday. Iran and the six world powers reached an agreement on July 23 this year during their negotiations in Vienna to resolve the Iranian nuclear dispute. According to Agence France-Presse, based on the U.S. draft of the new Security Council resolution regarding Iran's nuclear program, United Nations sanctions against the sale and export of conventional weapons will remain in place for five years, and sanctions on intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads will remain for eight years. This resolution, if approved, will mean the lifting of sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council in connection with Iran's nuclear program. Meanwhile, Yadollah Javani, senior advisor to the representative of the Supreme Leader in the IRGC, in response to the draft resolution of the Security Council regarding Iran's nuclear program, stated: "The Islamic Republic of Iran does not seek permission from anyone for its missile capabilities, nor does it consult with anyone; entering into discussions about missiles is a red line, and certainly, if the parties insist on this point, the agreement will lead nowhere." According to Tasnim, he pointed out that "the issue of defense capabilities and missile matters are among the red lines in negotiations, and we will not back down from them under any circumstances," stating that officials will pay close attention to this point, and Iran will not back down in this regard. In this context, Rasoul Sanaei Rad, head of the political department of the IRGC, on Saturday, July 27, referred to the U.S. draft resolution and said that Iran's military capabilities, including access to ballistic missiles, "are not negotiable." According to Fars News Agency, the head of the political department of the IRGC emphasized that "support" for the Iranian nuclear negotiation team "will not mean accepting all the conditions of the opposing party in the negotiations." Mohammad Saleh Jokar, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament, also deemed the "restriction on access to ballistic missiles against Iran in the Security Council resolution" unacceptable. According to Tasnim, this parliament member stated: "In principle, no country negotiates its defense and missile capabilities with any superpower or non-superpower, let alone Iran, which today, thanks to God and the guidance of the Supreme Leader, enjoys high security in the insecure Middle East region." Conservatives who previously criticized the Lausanne agreement have not publicly criticized the final Vienna agreement so far. Expressing concern over the draft resolution of the Security Council is the first critical reaction to this agreement. Barack Obama, the President of the United States, after the "Vienna" agreement called it a "historic" agreement and stated that if violated, Iran would face real consequences. In this context, regarding access to ballistic missiles within the framework of the agreement following the Iranian nuclear agreement, Israel is seeking more military assistance from the U.S. The British Prime Minister stated that the agreement with Iran does not mean an alliance with this country. The negative stance of Congress on the Iran agreement is "devastating" for America's position. John Kerry stated that Iran cannot evade nuclear oversight.