Khamenei: Extension of Iran Sanctions is Definitely a Violation of the JCPOA

Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, on Wednesday, December 3, described the recent action by the U.S. House of Representatives to extend the Iran sanctions law as a violation of the nuclear agreement and warned of Tehran's reaction. Ayatollah Khamenei, speaking to a group of members of the paramilitary Basij organization, stated: "[They] have done multiple things, committed multiple violations, it's not just one or two, the latest is this ten-year extension of sanctions, if these sanctions [are extended], it is definitely a violation of the JCPOA - without a doubt - and they should know that the Islamic Republic will certainly respond to it." The U.S. House of Representatives recently extended the Iran sanctions law for another 10 years. The current sanctions law will expire on January 1. This law was implemented in 1996 during the Bill Clinton administration and prohibits investments over $20 million in Iranian industries, especially in the energy sector. These sanctions are not related to Iran's nuclear program. The Obama administration had previously requested that the U.S. Congress delay the extension of this law, considering the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, but Donald Trump, the incoming U.S. president, who is fundamentally opposed to this agreement, is set to take office soon. On Wednesday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also accused U.S. officials of using the nuclear agreement to exert further pressure on Iran. He stated: "The U.S. government, in addition to the promises and commitments it has not fulfilled or has done incompletely regarding the JCPOA, and the officials involved in the JCPOA have explicitly referred to this issue, is now using the JCPOA as a means to exert further pressure on Iran." Donald Trump had previously stated during his election campaign that if he won the election, he would tear up the nuclear agreement. Khamenei also responded at that time that "if the Americans tear up the JCPOA, we will burn it." Iranian officials emphasize that the JCPOA is a multilateral agreement that the U.S. is obliged to implement. The European Union, which was a party to this "historic" agreement, has assured that the nuclear agreement with Iran is not a bilateral agreement between Tehran and Washington that Donald Trump, as President of the United States, can overturn. Another part of Ayatollah Khamenei's statements on Wednesday was dedicated to the role of the Basij organization, which he referred to as a "complementary" entity to the executive branch. The leader of the Islamic Republic said: "We do not want to position the Basij as a rival to the executive branch, but the Basij can serve as a complement and a source of hope for properly guiding the executive branch and also assisting in practical fields." The Basij organization was established shortly after the 1979 revolution by the order of Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Republic, and had a prominent presence during the eight-year Iran-Iraq war. Although Khamenei emphasized in his speech on Wednesday that "the Basij is not part of any of the revolutionary factions," the commanders of this organization have always been figures opposed to reformists. The Basij organization was also accused of suppressing protesters during the 2009 protests.