Rouhani Reports 'Achievements of JCPOA Implementation' in Letter to Iran's Leader

The President of Iran, in a letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, referred to the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement and announced that the government, based on Ayatollah Khamenei's directives, has been monitoring the commitments of the other party 'with precision and seriousness' and will take 'appropriate reciprocal action' against any breach of promise. Hassan Rouhani, in a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei published on Tuesday, January 28, on the presidential website and Iranian media, listed 11 'achievements' of the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement. These include the entry of over 200 tons of yellowcake into Iran, Iran joining the 'group of exporting' uranium countries, the cancellation of 12 resolutions and five decisions of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors, the cancellation of six Chapter VII resolutions of the UN Security Council, the lifting of sanctions, and the release of Iran's frozen assets. In this letter, President Rouhani stated that 'the government is determined' to monitor the commitments of the other party 'with precision and seriousness' and to take 'appropriate reciprocal action' against any breach of promise with intelligent realism and free from any extreme optimism. Rouhani also emphasized that 'the government is determined' to take the initiative in post-sanctions political, cultural, and economic relations and to thwart any attempts by enemies to exploit for infiltration. The Supreme Leader has repeatedly warned about what he describes as the U.S. efforts for 'influence' in Iran after the Vienna nuclear agreement. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also requested the formation of a committee in the Supreme National Security Council to oversee the implementation of the other party's commitments in a letter to the President for the approval of the Vienna nuclear agreement on October 21 of this year. He emphasized that 'throughout the eight-year period,' any imposition of sanctions 'at any level and for any pretext,' including 'terrorism and human rights,' by the negotiating countries would be considered a violation of the Vienna nuclear agreement and the government is obliged to halt the implementation of this agreement. However, the U.S. Treasury Department added 11 individuals and entities to the U.S. sanctions list in connection with Tehran's missile program on Sunday, just hours after the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement and the lifting of international sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program began, in response to the test of the 'Emad' missile. One day after the U.S. action, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius stated that the European Union would review this issue this week. The Iranian Foreign Ministry deemed the new U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic's missile program as 'lacking legal and moral legitimacy.' Meanwhile, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan stated on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic would 'demonstrate in practice and by unveiling new missile achievements' that sanctions on individuals and companies 'have no impact on the development and strengthening' of its missile program. According to Tasnim News Agency, Sadegh Amoli Larijani, the head of the judiciary, emphasized that 'the steps taken by the U.S. and Europe in the path of deception and actions such as reinstating sanctions under false pretexts are in no way acceptable to the Islamic Republic of Iran.' Hardline media close to the Supreme Leader, including Kayhan and Vatan-e-Emruz newspapers, have described the U.S. missile sanctions as a sign of the failure of the Vienna nuclear agreement.