Khamenei to Government: Give Up Hope on Europeans Regarding Issues Like JCPOA

On Wednesday, September 7, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasized that "any negotiations with the Americans are off the table" and indicated that while communication with Europe "is not an issue," President Hassan Rouhani's government should not pin hopes on Europeans regarding the JCPOA and the economy. According to the official website of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, he stated: "There is no problem in continuing communication and negotiations with Europe, but while doing so, you should give up hope on them regarding issues like the JCPOA or the economy." Khamenei made these remarks in the presence of President Hassan Rouhani and members of his cabinet who visited him on the occasion of Eid al-Ghadir. Previously, he had mentioned that he had made a "mistake" by allowing nuclear negotiations with America due to the "insistence of certain individuals." He described Europe’s behavior regarding the JCPOA and sanctions as "inappropriate" and urged the government to "seriously monitor the situation with a skeptical view of their promises." The Supreme Leader added that if the JCPOA does not serve Iran's national interests, "we will set it aside." Khamenei reiterated that negotiations with the U.S. are not an option, stating: "They want to maneuver that they even brought the Islamic Republic of Iran to the negotiating table, so as I have previously explained in detail, no negotiations will take place with them." He further remarked: "The outcome of negotiations with previous American officials, who were at least somewhat deceptive, was this; now, what negotiations do we have with the current rude and insulting officials who have drawn their swords against Iranians? Therefore, no negotiations will take place at any level with the Americans." The Supreme Leader recently stated that he, like Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, would prohibit negotiations with the U.S. He added, "We can only enter the dangerous game of negotiations with America when we achieve the desired power economically, politically, and culturally, and their pressures and provocations cannot affect us; however, currently, negotiations will certainly be detrimental to us and are prohibited." These remarks come as Donald Trump, the U.S. President, who withdrew his country from the nuclear agreement with Iran, the JCPOA, and reinstated related sanctions against Iran, has recently expressed readiness to negotiate with the Islamic Republic, even without preconditions. However, Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, while supporting Trump’s statements, clarified: "If the Iranians show a commitment to make fundamental changes in how they treat their people, reduce their destructive behavior in the region, and accept that it is worthwhile to enter into an agreement that truly prevents the proliferation of nuclear weapons, then the President has said he is ready to sit down and talk with them." In another part of his remarks, the Supreme Leader praised the performance of Rouhani's government but called for "closing the corruption loopholes" so that, according to him, "there would be no need for the judiciary to intervene." He described the government as "capable" in managing the country's economy and referred to the recent issues in the gold and currency markets, stating: "Although justifications were provided regarding these issues, nonetheless, managerial negligence and carelessness have also occurred." Khamenei also labeled the "shortage of certain items and goods at specific times as artificial and a form of sabotage" and added: "You must keep a watchful eye on such actions and confront them." He declared that "opening the field for honest economic activists and innovative and hardworking youth and removing obstacles and improving the business environment" and "closing corruption loopholes and dealing with corrupt individuals" are two important pillars of the country’s economic management. He made recommendations to the government in areas such as ensuring "stability and calm for economic actors," "utilizing the abundant and prominent economic capacities of the country," "using the private sector" in managing the economy, "the necessity of controlling liquidity," and "strong management and control of the central bank over other banks." Following currency fluctuations in the Iranian market that began before the announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, Rouhani's government has faced significant criticism, and many opponents of the government have even called for Hassan Rouhani's resignation. Rouhani and some members of his cabinet have described the government's management in this regard as appropriate and attributed the problems to factors beyond the cabinet's control.