Larijani on Economic Pressures: It Seems We Have Entered a New Phase

The Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Ali Larijani, referring to the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement, the return of sanctions, and Tehran's actions to maintain the JCPOA, stated, "It seems we have entered a new phase." In a speech on July 21, Larijani mentioned that after the Trump administration exited the nuclear deal and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the European Union "repeatedly requested that Iran not retaliate based on its legal right." He added that officials of the Islamic Republic "did not reject this request for the second time" so that, as Larijani says, "the economic conditions do not become problematic for the people." His remarks reflect recent statements by Iranian officials regarding negotiations with the EU, indicating that "this stage has not yet reached practical results and negotiations continue." Two days prior, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in an interview with Euronews, deemed the EU's proposed package unsatisfactory, stating that negotiations are ongoing. Zarif noted that Europe has given Iran a "political commitment" to preserve the JCPOA, but this commitment is insufficient. Donald Trump withdrew his administration from the nuclear agreement last spring. Trump was a critic of the deal, which was established during Barack Obama's presidency. Among Trump's criticisms of the JCPOA is that it did not change Iran's "destabilizing" behavior in the region, did not prevent the development of its ballistic missile program, and that the uranium enrichment limitations are not permanent but will gradually be lifted. Trump called for amendments or the revival of negotiations to reach a new agreement. Tehran has denied interference in regional affairs, asserting that its missile program is defensive and, while under severe military sanctions, it does not intend to halt its development. Senior officials of the Islamic Republic have so far rejected new negotiations with the United States. On Sunday, Larijani stated, "It seems we have entered a new phase where the essence is that the opposing side believes it can impose its unreasonable and domineering demands on the nation through economic pressure." He stated that "the Islamic Republic has utilized all methods to resolve misunderstandings and solve the issue in a way that does not impose economic pressure on the people and will continue on this path." Without providing details, he said, "The Iranian nation is patient and willing to engage, but it does not bargain its dignity." The United States claims it intends to exert maximum economic pressure on Iran to "change the regime's behavior." Severe reductions or even the "cutting off of Iran's oil exports" are among these pressures. Recently, Iranian officials have raised the possibility of "closing" the Strait of Hormuz if oil exports are threatened. U.S. officials have emphasized that they will respond to any potential actions by Iran, including attempts to "close" the Strait of Hormuz. Military expert Hossein Aryan told Radio Farda that Iran previously could not close the Strait of Hormuz even under the worst conditions of tanker warfare in the Persian Gulf. Some analysts believe that the current promises of the EU to preserve the JCPOA have not yet encouraged major European companies and banks to cooperate with Iran. Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether the Islamic Republic's officials are willing to negotiate again with the U.S. Economic analyst Fereydoun Khavand told Radio Farda that "the core of power in the Islamic Republic considers any negotiation with the United States to be 'absolute heresy,' and the only maneuvering space left for Hassan Rouhani's government is the effort to obtain 'guarantees' from the EU to ensure the survival of the JCPOA." Recently, Trump stated in Congress that his administration's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement has had "deep consequences" for Tehran and has "effectively weakened" the Islamic Republic. The U.S. president added that all of this may, over time, lead Iran to "contact the U.S. for negotiations and to reach a new agreement, or perhaps it will not do so."