Judiciary Describes Open Support for Improved Relations with the U.S. as a Crime

The Judiciary has described open support for improving relations with the United States as a crime. Reformists in Iran have vowed to continue their negotiations aimed at improving Tehran-Washington relations despite the Judiciary's directive against openly supporting dialogue with the U.S. Officials from the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Parliament stated yesterday that they will continue their sessions to address the issue of Iran-U.S. relations and other foreign policy matters. This committee, allied with President Mohammad Khatami, announced that this prohibition would have no effect on the decision to engage in parliamentary discussions regarding the establishment of relations with the U.S. The state news agency reported that Mohammad Reza Khatami, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament and brother of the President, stated that the Judiciary's directive has no legal basis and undermines the judiciary. Other reformist lawmakers have described the prohibition as contrary to the Constitution. Earlier this week, the hardline Judiciary labeled open support for improved relations with the U.S. as a crime. This directive followed remarks made last week by Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, who called negotiations with the U.S. treasonous and foolish, accusing those who advocate for it of being unpatriotic. Some Iranian newspapers and reformist representatives in Parliament have insisted on dialogue with the U.S. to mitigate hostility and end over two decades of enmity following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.