PourMohammadi's Revelations About Jalili's Opposition to Joining FATF Spark Controversy

Mustafa PourMohammadi, a presidential election candidate, has revealed that his rival, Saeed Jalili, opposed Iran's accession to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) during Hassan Rouhani's presidency, leading to widespread reactions. PourMohammadi stated that Jalili's opposition stemmed from not wanting this action to occur under Rouhani's government. Abdul Karim Hassan Zadeh, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, sharply criticized Jalili on Friday, July 1, stating he must clarify this issue and that 'the hostage-taking of the livelihoods of millions of Iranians is unforgivable.' He emphasized that using the lives and livelihoods of millions for political superiority is far beyond immorality and is an unforgivable act. Hassan Zadeh added that Jalili should explicitly address PourMohammadi's claim that he accepted FATF but did not want it to be accepted by Rouhani's team. PourMohammadi recalled in an election debate on June 21 that he had extensively discussed FATF issues in the Supreme National Security Council in 2016, where Jalili concluded the meeting by saying they would accept it if PourMohammadi were in charge, but not the others. Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, former Minister of Communications, also criticized Jalili, questioning the impact of not implementing FATF on the people's lives and whether this mindset is suitable for managing the country. Lengthy discussions in Rouhani's government aimed to join FATF to avoid being blacklisted by the group, but this did not materialize due to strong opposition from conservative lawmakers. The FATF announced in March 2024 that Iran would remain on its blacklist for money laundering and called on member countries to take additional and necessary supervisory measures regarding Iran. The website of the 'Donya-e-Eqtesad' newspaper described Jalili's silence on PourMohammadi's statements as 'meaningful,' while the 'Tejarat News' website noted that Jalili's reputation has suffered, revealing that he secretly supports FATF but only opposed its approval and implementation under Rouhani's government. Abdullah Ramazanzadeh, spokesman for Mohammad Khatami's government, tweeted questioning whether Jalili's actions, if PourMohammadi's claims are correct, constitute service or betrayal, and whether he will be held accountable for his actions. Yadollah Islami, Secretary-General of the Assembly of Representatives of Past Majlis, has also called for Jalili's prosecution, stating that this behavior is horrifying and destructive. Jalili has recently reiterated his opposition to FATF. Abdolnaser Hemmati, former head of the Central Bank, responded to Jalili's stance by saying that only he and North Korea claim that FATF is ineffective. Among all countries, only Iran, North Korea, and Myanmar are on the FATF blacklist. Former President Hassan Rouhani warned in December 2018 that if the related bills to FATF regulations were not approved, financial transactions would cost the country 20% more. He stated that the costs of not approving these bills and the absence of the JCPOA should be communicated to the people. Opponents of Iran's accession to FATF regulations, mainly conservatives, argue that this would block financial assistance to Hamas and Hezbollah. Proponents argue that opponents fear economic transparency and the prevention of banking corruption. Since October 2019, FATF has warned its members that enhanced due diligence is necessary in financial dealings with Iran and remains concerned about the risks of terrorism financing through Iran and the threat this poses to the international financial system.