Reactions to Jalili's Assessment of 'Abandoned Rights' in Nuclear Agreement

The invitation of Saeed Jalili, Iran's former nuclear negotiator, to the special commission on the JCPOA and his statements in this commission prompted reactions from Ali Akbar Velayati, head of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council, Hamid Baidi-Nejad, a member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team, and several members of parliament. Ali Akbar Velayati regarded Jalili's comments about the abandonment of '100 legitimate rights of Iran' in the Vienna nuclear agreement as 'the result of his own investigations' and stated that the goal of the special commission on the JCPOA is 'a thorough examination' of this issue. Jalili, who is known for his criticism of Hassan Rouhani's nuclear approach, stated on Tuesday, September 6, during a session of the commission reviewing the JCPOA that '100 legitimate rights of Iran' were disregarded in the drafting of the nuclear agreement and its annexes. According to the state news agency IRNA, on Wednesday, September 7, Velayati responded to Jalili's remarks by saying that 'their opinions are the result of their own investigations, and finally, the group formed in the parliament is for a thorough examination of this issue.' Velayati had previously criticized Jalili's performance in the nuclear negotiations with the 5+1 group during the 2013 presidential election debates. Meanwhile, Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who attended the special commission session on the JCPOA on Tuesday morning, indirectly commented on Jalili's remarks, stating that 'denying the actions and efforts of the previous and current negotiating team is a major mistake.' On Tuesday, Hamid Baidi-Nejad also reacted to Jalili's statements, emphasizing that 'if a right exists, no document can eliminate it.' According to Baidi-Nejad, in international law, 'a right is either inherent or must be recognized in an international treaty.' He pointed out the disagreement between Iran and the 5+1 countries regarding Iran's enrichment program, stating that these countries 'accepted that Iran continues enrichment, and all its limits have been defined.' Jalili's invitation to the special commission on the JCPOA also drew criticism from some Iranian media and members of parliament. According to IRNA, Awaz Heydarpoor, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the 8th and 9th Majlis, stated on Tuesday that Jalili 'never' attended to report on the nuclear negotiation process and answer representatives' questions in parliamentary committees during his tenure, but now defends his past actions by attending the JCPOA commission. The special commission on the JCPOA has announced that in the coming days, several government officials and military commanders will be invited to attend this commission. The actions of this commission come at a time when Hassan Rouhani and his government officials have repeatedly emphasized that there is no need for the parliament to approve the Vienna nuclear agreement. According to a law titled 'Obligation of the Government to Preserve Achievements and Nuclear Rights,' the 'result of negotiations' regarding Iran's nuclear program must be 'presented to the parliament,' and 201 members of parliament have asked the government to 'present the Vienna nuclear agreement as soon as possible' in the form of a bill. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, also emphasized on Thursday, September 3, that the parliament should not be sidelined from reviewing the nuclear agreement or the 'JCPOA.' However, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesman, referred to the Supreme Leader's remarks on Tuesday as 'the final word' while stating that there is no need to present the Vienna nuclear agreement bill to the parliament, but the government will 'not withhold any assistance or information' from the parliament. Nobakht emphasized that the Supreme National Security Council is reviewing the JCPOA and will provide a report 'in the near future.'