Republication of Khamenei's Remarks Against Europe from Eight Months Ago

On the verge of decision-making regarding the FATF bills and amid increasing political tensions in Iran over two bills related to combating money laundering and terrorism financing, the website of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has republished part of his remarks from eight months ago that attack European countries. Ali Khamenei, in a meeting with Hassan Rouhani and his cabinet members on July 14, discussed various topics, but Khamenei's website on Monday, March 4, separately republished the section concerning his attacks against 'the Europeans' on its front page. According to the published text, the Supreme Leader explained his harsh criticisms of European countries by stating that his criticisms are 'not because of their current policies, but because of the evil nature [that] European governments have shown over the past few centuries.' Since May of this year, when Donald Trump announced the official U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and reinstated all sanctions against the Islamic Republic, European countries have repeatedly emphasized that as long as Iran remains committed to the JCPOA, they will also strive to maintain the nuclear agreement. After several months of negotiations between European countries and Iran, on January 31 of this year, Germany, France, and Britain announced the official registration of a mechanism for trade with Iran, titled 'INSTEX.' In his remarks made several months before the launch of INSTEX, Khamenei stated: 'In this regard, they are being malicious. Of course, I do not want to get into this European package and Europe and such things, otherwise, there is much to say there too.' Nevertheless, the Supreme Leader has warned Hassan Rouhani's government: 'Do not condition the people regarding the European package like the JCPOA' and 'Do not tie the country's economic problems to this package.' He has also stated that the Europeans are 'forced, they have no choice, their eyes are four.' Khamenei did not provide an explanation for the reasons behind Europe's 'necessity' and only said: 'They must say how they will be able to defend our interests; which is the name of that package.' Simultaneously with the republication of the Supreme Leader's remarks from a few months ago, Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, announced that delegations from Europe would travel to Tehran in the coming days. During the period when negotiations between Iran and the three European countries were ongoing to reach a special mechanism for trade despite U.S. sanctions, several close associates and appointees of the Supreme Leader described the establishment of such a mechanism with phrases like 'oil for food policy.' In the remarks posted on his website, the Supreme Leader, after verbal attacks against the U.S. and Europe, also stated that his opinion is not to sever relations with countries and 'except in a few cases like the U.S., in other cases, my opinion is not this; relations should be strengthened with the East and with the West.' The U.S. and several regional countries have described the Islamic Republic's actions in the region as 'destabilizing' and have warned about Iran's interventions in the internal affairs of its neighbors. European countries negotiating with Iran have also repeatedly stated that while they do not agree with the U.S. on maintaining the JCPOA, they share common concerns with the United States regarding 'Iran's destabilizing actions in the region' and 'the ballistic missile activities of the Islamic Republic.'