Larijani: We Cannot Stop the JCPOA Because of One U.S. Violation

Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, on Tuesday, January 21, responded in a public session to a request from a conservative representative to halt the implementation of the JCPOA due to 'its violation by the U.S.' He stated, 'The idea that if someone violates it, we should stop the entire implementation of the JCPOA is incorrect.' According to IRNA news agency, Hamid Rasai, a conservative member of parliament, mentioned in a procedural reminder that 'the imposition of sanctions after the signing of the JCPOA is a violation of the agreement, but the Americans have 11 new sanctions planned.' He added that 'all members overseeing the proper implementation of the JCPOA have said that the agreement has been violated; I don't know why you are hesitating and not stopping its implementation.' Following the agreement known as the 'Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action' (JCPOA) between Iran and the 1+5 countries, the U.S. Congress approved a travel restriction for those who have traveled to Iran in its budget bill, which has become a contentious issue between Tehran and Washington. Furthermore, Fars news agency reported on Saturday that proposals for further sanctions against Iran have recently been raised in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the '11 new sanctions' mentioned by Hamid Rasai could refer to this news from Fars. On Tuesday, Larijani responded to Rasai's reminder by referring to the new travel restrictions to the U.S., saying, 'It is not as tragic as you say; of course, a violation has occurred, and we have written a letter, and they have also written a letter expressing that we want to resolve the actions taken, and we are following up on it.' He emphasized to Rasai, 'Every action must be taken with its appropriate response, not that we destroy the national interests of the country; you are seeking to completely stop it, and every action requires a proportional response, which has also been considered in this regard.' The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament added, 'If I said a violation occurred regarding the visa issue for travel to Iran, which contradicts the spirit of the JCPOA, we cannot stop the entire JCPOA for this action; we must find a suitable way, not to completely suspend it.' According to IRNA, Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, also commented on Tuesday during a meeting with former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder about the travel restrictions to the U.S. and their impact on the JCPOA, stating, 'Contrary to some lobbies and officials in the U.S. who see their existence and interests in creating challenges and crises for others, we are interested in developing relations and cooperation to solve crises.' He referred to the recent U.S. law on visa restrictions, saying, 'This behavior of the U.S., which violates all claims related to free market flow and World Trade Organization laws, shows that the ruling body of this country does not have the necessary commitment to the spirit of the JCPOA and acts based on goodwill.' Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, expressed hope on Tuesday during a meeting of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce's board of directors with banking managers about when the JCPOA would be implemented, saying, 'We hope to reach the implementation of the JCPOA in the coming days.' He added, 'Regarding the issue of visa issuance restrictions, the U.S. Secretary of State has explicitly stated that we will not implement any resolution that contradicts our commitments under the JCPOA. We must wait to see what happens in practice. If a violation of U.S. commitments under the JCPOA occurs in practice, we will also enter through the dispute resolution mechanism.'