Parliament Leadership: Proposal to Counter US Senate Resolution Not Currently Necessary

The spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament's leadership, Behrouz Nemati, stated that the urgent proposal by some parliament members to counter the recent Senate resolution regarding Iran's nuclear program is currently unnecessary. In an interview with ISNA on Monday, May 10, he referred to a meeting of the leadership where discussions were held about the proposals from certain representatives to counter the US Senate's recent resolution. He mentioned that based on the conclusions drawn, there is no need for new proposals at this time. The US Senate voted overwhelmingly on Thursday, May 6, on a proposal that allows Congress to review any nuclear agreement with Iran within 30 days and reject it if necessary. Simultaneously, 150 members of the US House of Representatives expressed their support for the nuclear negotiations between President Barack Obama's administration and its allies with Iran in a letter. In response to this resolution, Javad Karimi Qodousi, a representative from Mashhad, announced the preparation of an urgent proposal that, if finally approved, would halt negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program until the end of 'threats' from the US and an official apology from the country 'in a statement.' The issue of threats resurfaced when US Vice President Joe Biden described an attack on Iran as 'risky' and stated that it 'is still a possibility' that the US might accept it. In reaction to his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of Iran, along with several Friday prayer leaders, senior military officials, and parliament representatives, urged nuclear negotiators not to 'submit to humiliation and threats.' Previously, parliament members had proposed a seven-article plan that would obligate the government to maintain nuclear achievements, which had been approved as urgent. Nemati stated that this plan is currently under consideration. He mentioned that in the leadership's meeting on Monday, the proposals from some representatives to counter the US Senate resolution were discussed, and the leadership's view was that this is a national issue that requires expert work and consideration of national interests, with all stages of work anticipated. He added that according to the leadership's opinion, the parliament's response to the Senate resolution should be organized through interaction among all political currents in the parliament, factions, and within the framework of the policies envisioned by Ayatollah Khamenei, taking national interests into account. Nemati emphasized that the leadership believes that work in this area should proceed in a homogeneous, balanced manner, and with a national movement, and that repeating this proposal in the form of other proposals is not necessary. Previously, Bagher Hosseini reported on Sunday that Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, had also expressed 'strong' opposition to the urgent proposal to halt nuclear negotiations. According to a member of parliament, Abbas Araghchi, a senior member of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team, stated that the 'interference' of the US Senate would only delay the implementation of the nuclear agreement between Iran and the 1+5 group by about two months and would have no other effect. He referred to the US Senate proposal that aims to allow Congress to review any nuclear agreement with Iran within 30 days and reject it if necessary. The US House of Representatives is expected to review this proposal next week. According to the House of Representatives' news agency, Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, the spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament, reported on Abbas Araghchi's presence at the commission meeting on Sunday, May 20. According to Naqavi Hosseini, Araghchi predicted that President Barack Obama would veto any potential positive vote from Congress on the Senate's proposal regarding the review of the nuclear agreement between Iran and the 1+5 group. According to this report, Araghchi stated, 'Let’s assume Congress breaks the President's veto, who will suffer? Certainly, the Americans will suffer.' The senior member of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team emphasized that 'American sanctions will be lifted in such a way that the sanctions of the US government will be lifted. Congressional sanctions will be halted by the government. European financial-economic sanctions will be lifted, and UN Security Council sanctions will also be lifted.'