Javad Larijani: The Structure of Sanctions Remains and We Should Expect Bigger Sanctions

The Secretary of the Human Rights Headquarters of the Iranian Judiciary described the 'spirit' of the Vienna nuclear agreement as 'very dirty' and stated that the United States has maintained the 'structure of sanctions' and the Islamic Republic should expect 'a very large set of sanctions.' Mohammad Javad Larijani, in an interview with the Tasnim news agency published on Monday, August 16, emphasized multiple times that the U.S. has 'completely kept' the structure of sanctions against Iran and 'does not intend to lift them in the near future.' He accused American officials of failing to adhere to their commitments under the nuclear agreement, adding that they 'completely undermine all their commitments' in this agreement 'very well,' but Iran 'can do nothing.' The former Deputy Foreign Minister also stated that the issue of Iran's nuclear program was 'at the end of the list' of U.S. demands from the Islamic Republic and that they want 'much more.' He added, 'Thus, given the bad signs we have sent regarding desperation, we should expect a very large set of sanctions.' Some officials of the Islamic Republic accuse the U.S. government of failing to fulfill its commitments regarding the Vienna nuclear agreement, including Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, who has accused the U.S. of 'violating' the nuclear agreement. However, officials of Hassan Rouhani's government claim that this agreement has not been violated. Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that sanctions against Iran have been lifted on paper, but the U.S. and European countries need to make 'more efforts' to eliminate the 'existing psychological atmosphere, especially regarding banking interactions.' Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry officials have stated that besides the concerns of European banks about sanctions, the 'weakness in financial discipline' of Iranian banks in not cooperating with European banks has 'not been ineffective,' and the Central Bank is 'working to resolve this issue.' American officials, in turn, reject Iran's claims, stating that they have acted 'beyond their commitments' in the nuclear agreement. 'Only texts consistent with the interpretation of the leadership bear the seal of the system.' While officials of Hassan Rouhani's government have stated that the 'approval and implementation' of the Vienna nuclear agreement was 'the decision of the system,' the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has repeatedly criticized it despite conditionally approving the nuclear agreement. Now, Mr. Larijani has told Tasnim that 'what bears the seal of the system in these negotiations are the texts agreed upon with the interpretation of the leadership.' He added, 'If officials refer to the system, they must be precise.' The Secretary of the Human Rights Headquarters of the Iranian Judiciary also referred to his previous interview, calling the 'spirit' of the Vienna nuclear agreement 'very dirty' and emphasized that this agreement aims to 'eliminate' the nuclear capability of the Islamic Republic. According to Mr. Larijani, this agreement also seeks to prevent the Islamic Republic from supporting Palestine and the 'resistance front,' push Iran's economic system towards 'explosion,' and ultimately 'seriously challenge' the Islamic Republic. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has previously emphasized that Iran will continue to support its allies in countries such as Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq despite the Vienna nuclear agreement. Ali Akbar Velayati, the international advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, also stated last year that Iran would have 'greater capacity' to support its 'friends in the region' after the Vienna nuclear agreement and that the 'resistance axis' in the region would be strengthened. However, Alireza Zakani, a former parliament representative and opponent of the Vienna nuclear agreement, announced that General Vahidi, representing the General Staff of the Armed Forces, presented an 'important confidential file' in the parliament's JCPOA commission and called the government's claims about the strengthening of 'Islamic awakening' after the Vienna nuclear agreement 'baseless.' Iran refers to groups like Hezbollah and Hamas and other Palestinian groups opposing the Middle East peace process, as well as the Syrian government, as the 'resistance front' against Israel. Ahmadinejad suggested, 'Let’s give all enriched nuclear materials at once.' The Secretary of the Human Rights Headquarters of the Iranian Judiciary also stated in this interview that he considers the Iranian President's remarks about the economic achievements of the Vienna nuclear agreement to be 'correct,' and denying the economic openings of this agreement is 'foolish and unfair,' and 'attempting to diminish their value' is also 'a kind of stubbornness.' Mr. Larijani also said, 'We must see in what framework these should be evaluated and how valuable these matters are.' He emphasized that the openings made are 'not only limited and restricted' but also 'completely unreliable.' Mr. Larijani also expressed 'surprise' at the criticism from supporters of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former Iranian President, regarding the Vienna nuclear agreement, reminding that Mr. Ahmadinejad 'proposed a worse version of this JCPOA in the last years of his presidency.' He added, 'Ahmadinejad suggested giving all enriched nuclear materials at once and that he would negotiate with Obama and resolve the issue.'