Larijani: Harassment Actions in Nuclear Agreement Leave Iran No Choice but to Respond

The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament expressed regret over the recent report by the UN Secretary-General regarding Security Council Resolution 2231, warning the US government, House of Representatives, and Senate that "harassment actions against the nuclear agreement have reached a point where Iran has no choice but to respond." According to ISNA news agency, Ali Larijani stated on Wednesday, July 30, during a public session of Parliament that it is "necessary" for the Atomic Energy Organization to prepare a plan for establishing a nuclear facility for enrichment at the levels desired by the country and to inform Parliament. He described Ban Ki-moon's report as a type of "free fall" for the Secretary-General and the UN Security Council, while also stating that the report "did not contain any legal obligation for Iran." The Speaker emphasized: "The spirit of the JCPOA is not a fluid matter that allows the Secretary-General to attribute any irrelevant statement to it." On July 10, Larijani had also warned Western countries that if they attempt to present the nuclear agreement with Tehran in a way that he described as "different and desirable," the agreement would collapse. Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, reported to the members of the Security Council that Iran's missile tests are "inconsistent with the spirit" of the Vienna nuclear agreement. In recent days, Iran's Foreign Minister and officials from the Ministry have protested this report. Meanwhile, the US and Russia also criticized the way the report was drafted and some of its provisions on Monday. Security Council Resolution 2231, which was issued after the Vienna nuclear agreement to endorse it, calls on Iran to refrain from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Iran argues that its missile tests are not in violation of the nuclear agreement, stating that "the tested missiles were not tested for carrying nuclear warheads." However, the US, France, Britain, and Germany in April of this year sent a joint letter to the UN Security Council requesting a response to Iran's missile tests and also asked Ban Ki-moon to declare that these tests are inconsistent with Resolution 2231. The Speaker of Parliament further stated that after the Vienna nuclear agreement, 52 bills and resolutions have been proposed in various committees of the US House of Representatives and Senate against Iran, most of which "are completely contrary to the spirit of the JCPOA." He objected to the omission of three recent resolutions from the US House of Representatives in the Secretary-General's report, stating that these resolutions "are so explicit in their opposition to the JCPOA that even White House officials have expressed their opposition to them." The House Financial Services Committee has voted on three proposals that could prevent the sale of Boeing and other modern aircraft to Iran. At the same time, the House of Representatives has also passed proposals for financial sanctions against Iran. The President of the United States has stated that he will veto any proposals that obstruct the implementation of the "JCPOA." Iranian Foreign Ministry officials have previously protested against the US Congress's resolutions, accusing the country of "breach of trust" in implementing the Vienna nuclear agreement while also stating that the Vienna nuclear agreement has not been violated by the US. However, some political groups in Iran have repeatedly spoken of the US's violation of this agreement, and Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran, has accused the US of "violating" this agreement without providing details. The accusation of US obstruction in the implementation of the JCPOA is made by Iran while US officials reject this claim, stating that they have acted "beyond their commitments" in the nuclear agreement. Abbas Araghchi, head of Iran's nuclear team at the JCPOA commission meeting in Vienna, reported that the negotiating parties with Tehran agreed to resolve obstacles to banking transactions with Iran.