Response to New US Sanctions; Araqchi: IRGC and Quds Force Will Be Strengthened

Bahram Qasemi, spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, announced that Tehran reserves the right to respond to "anti-Iranian actions by the US government." Previously, Abbas Araqchi, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, stated that "the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Quds Force will be strengthened." Donald Trump, the President of the United States, signed a congressional bill on Wednesday, August 2, intensifying sanctions against Iran, Russia, and North Korea. According to Reuters, Mr. Trump told American lawmakers that "despite supporting stringent measures to counter the aggressive and destabilizing behaviors of Iran, North Korea, and Russia, he believes this law has significant shortcomings." He also stated that he signed this bill "for the unity of the American people," but acknowledged that the law has issues. The US President must impose sanctions against the IRGC and foreign individuals who are officials, agents, or affiliates of the IRGC 90 days after the law takes effect. The law identifies the Quds Force of the IRGC as the operational arm of this military entity outside Iran, executing Tehran's policies in "supporting terrorist and militia groups" and enabling them to conduct "terrorist operations throughout the Middle East and South Asia" by providing military and economic resources. The IRGC will also be subject to sanctions from the US Treasury Department, which will lead to the seizure of Quds Force assets and a prohibition on any transactions with it. The new sanctions law also requires Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, to compile a comprehensive list of human rights violators in Iran and those responsible for torture and illegal executions in the country to facilitate their sanctioning. These individuals will also be barred from entering the United States. Meanwhile, Bahram Qasemi condemned the signing of the sanctions bill by Donald Trump on Thursday, August 3, calling it "regressive, illegitimate, unreasonable, and contrary to all humanitarian principles and international laws." He stated that the new sanctions "will affect the successful implementation of the JCPOA" and asserted that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will not remain silent in the face of the US's violation of the JCPOA, and a series of countermeasures will soon be announced by the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran." Earlier, Abbas Araqchi had described the new US sanctions as a "violation of the JCPOA" and mentioned that "we have involved the judiciary to counter this plan, and the IRGC and Quds Force will be strengthened." According to Mehr News Agency, citing Iranian state television, he noted that the signing of these sanctions by Donald Trump was "completely expected" and added that both Democrats and Republicans in the US perceive that "Iran has become stronger due to the JCPOA and has gained significant power, and our country's behavior in the region and against the US has not changed in their view. Therefore, the general perception in Washington is that Iran should be pressured again, but the JCPOA is a significant obstacle for them to reimpose oil sanctions and other heavy sanctions that were previously in place." The head of the JCPOA Implementation Follow-up Committee in Iran's Foreign Ministry also stated that the draft bill "has provisions to strengthen our armed forces and the Quds Force" and added: "After the approval of this draft, the remaining decisions of the JCPOA Implementation Monitoring Board will be implemented, some of which pertain to the Foreign Ministry and include certain political and legal actions, while others relate to the Atomic Energy Organization and various other agencies." When asked about the reactions of other JCPOA parties, including Europeans, he responded: "They have expressed their opposition to unilateral and extraterritorial US sanctions and sent various messages that they will continue their economic engagement with Iran." Nevertheless, Abbas Araqchi stated: "We do not rely on the commitment of the other side but rather on our own capabilities and are prepared for any scenario." Previously, Britain, France, and Germany, along with the US, warned the United Nations on Wednesday that Iran had taken a "threatening and provocative step" by testing a missile capable of carrying a satellite into space and called for the UN Secretary-General to address this issue. According to Reuters, these four countries stated in a report to the Iran Sanctions Committee at the Security Council and to Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, that Iran's satellite launch on July 27 was in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 regarding the JCPOA. Representatives of these four countries requested Mr. Guterres to provide a "comprehensive and complete report on Iran's ballistic missile activities and space program" to the 15 members of the Security Council. The "National Council of Resistance," primarily composed of the People's Mojahedin Organization, issued a statement calling for the swift implementation of these sanctions. This organization labeled the IRGC as "a tool for exporting terrorism and repression." Many of the sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program were lifted 18 months ago as a result of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by world powers and the UN, but Iran remains under military sanctions and other restrictions that are technically unrelated to the nuclear agreement reached in July 2015.