Larijani: If Travel Restrictions to the U.S. Are Not Amended, We Will Respond in Kind

The Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly referred to the new law restricting the entry of travelers to the U.S. as an action that "certainly contradicts the spirit of the JCPOA" and stated, "If they do not amend it, there will be a reciprocal response from Iran, and measures have been planned in this regard." According to the IRNA news agency, Ali Larijani made this statement in his remarks before the open session of the parliament on Sunday, January 20, but did not elaborate on the measures Iran might take. Larijani further warned that "if the U.S. government does not prevent congressional plans against Iran, the parliament will respond in kind." According to the new law, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in December and signed into law by President Barack Obama, citizens of 38 mostly European countries, as well as dual nationals from these countries, who were previously exempt from obtaining visas to enter the U.S., must now obtain a visa if they have traveled to Iran, Sudan, Iraq, or Syria since 2011. Iranian officials have strongly criticized the new law, describing it as a means of exerting economic pressure on Iran following the implementation of the JCPOA. Before Larijani, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had also called the full implementation of this law a "violation of the JCPOA." However, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, assured that this law would be implemented in a way that would not harm Iran. In response to news of "three proposals," Larijani stated on Sunday that "recently, some U.S. representatives have introduced hastily assembled proposals, which can only be described as malicious, intending to undermine the nuclear resolution achieved between Iran and the 1+5." The Fars news agency reported on Saturday in an "exclusive report" titled "3 More Anti-Iran Proposals Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives" regarding proposals that may correspond to the three mentioned by Larijani. According to Fars, the titles of these three proposals are "Intolerance of Terrorist Actions," "Ending Iran's Nuclear Weapons Program Before Lifting Sanctions," and "Proposal to Sanction and Prevent Iran's Ballistic Missiles." Larijani also referred to the proposal by some U.S. congressional representatives to impose sanctions on Iran due to its recent missile test. The Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly stated, "The sponsors of these absurd proposals regarding the country's (defensive) capabilities, especially in the missile field, as well as a proposal regarding Iran's nuclear history, will not be taken seriously by the Iranian people, but will rather strengthen the Iranian people's resolve to enhance the country's defense capabilities, and if they pursue this path, we will reconsider both in defense and in nuclear activities." He also described the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Quds Force as "the eyes and light of the Iranian people in ensuring the country's security" and questioned, "What does it mean for the U.S. Congress to propose such foolish plans against them?" The Wall Street Journal reported on December 30 that the White House was preparing a plan to sanction twelve companies and individuals related to Iran's missile program due to the ballistic missile test of "Emad." However, the Associated Press later reported that this decision had been delayed, although the White House stated it was still reviewing the plan. The news of the delay faced severe criticism from Republican representatives in Congress, who accused the Obama administration of failing to exert pressure on Iran following the "Emad" missile test. Following the Wall Street Journal report, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani instructed Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan to pursue the missile production program with greater speed and seriousness. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported last Thursday that a Republican plan to intensify oversight of Iran's activities in the House Foreign Affairs Committee had been approved. This plan must now be reviewed and voted on in the House of Representatives. Under this plan, the U.S. government will not be allowed to remove individuals and financial institutions associated with Iran's missile program or "terrorist activities" from the sanctions list. In his remarks on Sunday, Larijani also called the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran a "mistake," but simultaneously directed severe criticism at Saudi Arabia, stating that the actions of this country "have deep-rooted causes."