Rouhani: A New Chapter in Our Country's Relations with the World Has Begun

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, in response to the implementation of the nuclear agreement, stated in a message to Iranian citizens, "We have extended our hands to the world in a gesture of friendship, and by overcoming all enmities, suspicions, and conspiracies, we have opened a new chapter in our country's relations with the world." In the statement published on January 17, he referred to the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as a period of "transition from sanctions to development," creating a new opportunity for Iranian youth. Rouhani described the implementation of the nuclear agreement as a "historic moment" and expressed his respect for the patient Iranian people. He emphasized that with the nuclear agreement, "Iran's friends are happy, and rivals should not be worried." The negotiations between Iran and six global powers regarding Tehran's nuclear file took a new turn with the coming to power of the eleventh government. However, these negotiations faced international opposition, with some critics continuing to voice their concerns even after the agreement was reached. The Israeli government and U.S. Republicans are among the opponents and critics of the negotiations and the agreement. U.S. officials also arranged meetings with Iran's regional rivals, such as Saudi Arabia, aimed at defending the agreement. Nevertheless, the execution of a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia and attacks on its diplomatic missions in Iran have plunged relations between Tehran and Riyadh into a new crisis. Rouhani also referred to the political alignments within Iran, stating that "the implementation of the JCPOA will not be detrimental to any faction or group." A group of hardline conservatives has attacked the agreements through various means, including their representatives in the Islamic Consultative Assembly and their media outlets. There are also various analyses suggesting that the implementation of the JCPOA may provoke reactions from extremist opponents of the government to prevent the weakening of their political position. The elections for the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts are approaching, and the Guardian Council, the main body capable of "approving candidates' qualifications," is considered close to the conservatives. In another part of his statement, Rouhani said, "Today is the era of transition from sanctions to development, which requires work, initiative, and investment, and the use of new opportunities by everyone, especially dear youth." He congratulated the Iranian people, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, religious authorities, past governments, the diplomatic apparatus, and the Iranian parliament. On Sunday morning, during the presentation of the budget for the year 1395 in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, he also congratulated the Iranian people on the implementation of the nuclear agreement. Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, had previously limited his first reaction to the nuclear agreement to merely thanking the Iranian negotiators. On Saturday, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, and Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, announced that all national and multilateral financial and economic sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program were lifted in accordance with the JCPOA. As of Saturday, the nuclear agreement between Iran and six global powers has entered into the implementation phase.