Rouhani: We Have Complaints About the U.S. Regarding the Implementation of the JCPOA in the Past Eight Months

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, criticized the United States on Thursday in New York regarding the implementation of the nuclear agreement, the JCPOA, stating, "We have fulfilled all our commitments" regarding the JCPOA, but the U.S. has delayed in some areas. According to IRNA, Rouhani, speaking to international media at the end of his trip to New York, responded to the question of "What do you expect the U.S. to do regarding the implementation of the JCPOA, and how will the Iranian government deal with these matters if the current conditions change?" He said, "Our complaint about the United States in the way the JCPOA has been implemented over the past eight months is that in fulfilling its commitments, we have witnessed delays and in some cases negligence and also a lack of transparency." He added, "For example, I can clarify that according to the JCPOA, after its implementation, the sale of passenger planes to Iran should be allowed, and sanctions and prohibitions in this area should be lifted; this means that from day one, all necessary permits for the sale of planes should be granted; you see that in recent days, announcements are being made about planes similar to Airbus or Boeing; our complaint is about the delay." The Iranian President emphasized, "We have fulfilled all commitments, but our counterpart is also delayed; like the case I mentioned; of course, the counterpart I mean is primarily the United States; other countries are trying to ensure that the JCPOA is implemented and operational." The implementation of the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), began last December. Iranian officials, especially Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, have accused the U.S. of 'bad faith' regarding the JCPOA and say that the U.S. has not fulfilled its commitments under the JCPOA. Regarding major banks and U.S. transparency, Rouhani further stated, "The Americans do not speak transparently about banks as major banks tell us; sometimes they clearly say you are free to work with Iran and there is no obstacle in your way; sometimes they speak in a tone that causes doubt. For example, they say that yes, the sanctions have been lifted, but the nuclear sanctions have been lifted, and be careful that the primary sanctions still exist and you must strictly observe them, or they scare major banks with the Treasury Department's actions against them." He added, "This is a matter we have objections to; there is a mechanism for objections that has stages, and we have gone through those stages and are continuing to do so." Rouhani also responded to a question from a 'Press TV' reporter regarding the abandonment of the JCPOA, saying: "The JCPOA is a very important issue; if a country delays in its implementation, the JCPOA does not lose its importance; it is the reputation of the country that delays that is diminished." The Iranian President added, "The JCPOA is an issue that is in favor of our region, the stability of our region, and the security of our region; all countries are happy to talk to us because they were our friends and wanted to trade with us." He said, "In these eight months, our economic relations with Europe have increased by over 40%; therefore, the JCPOA has its specific importance; of course, on the other hand, if someone neglects and violates something, we must loudly say, confront them, and force them." During this press conference, a CBS reporter asked about the recent multiple arrests in Iran, including one of the members of the JCPOA negotiation team, to which the Iranian President responded: "Of course, in Iran, like all democratic societies, there are naturally differences of opinion; the government has many supporters, critics, and opponents; this is the nature of a free society, and we have no complaints in this regard." Rouhani pointed out that "if there have been arrests in Iran, if there are cases, they will ultimately be tried by the judiciary and the judicial authority" and said: "As President, my effort is to ensure that in Iran, also in the judiciary, in security sectors, the law is well implemented, and this is my responsibility; I have followed and will continue to follow the cases according to my duties, although this does not mean that every action I take will be announced and discussed in the media." The Iranian President also discussed his negotiations with Theresa May, the British Prime Minister, mentioning the issue of the arrest of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, stating: "A prisoner is not a card; we hope that no one violates the laws of countries; no one is ever arrested; no one is ever imprisoned; well, the Americans also have some Iranians in prison, and we can use this expression about them as well; we can say that the Iranians they arrest want to use them as a card." He added: "Yes, Mrs. May also mentioned this issue at the end of the talks and asked me for help as President to provide some facilities for those in prison or to be released; I explained to her that the dual nationality you mentioned is not accepted in Iranian law; that is, we have never accepted dual nationality in Iranian law; we have only one nationality, and therefore, an Iranian who still has Iranian nationality is considered Iranian and is not considered a citizen of another country, and according to our internal regulations, he is treated as an Iranian." He further stated: "In my opinion, in such cases, the government's effort, where it can within the constitutional framework, is to help those who have been caught so that they can serve their sentences faster." Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian, who traveled to Iran with her young child, was arrested on April 15 this year at Tehran airport while trying to leave Iran. The Revolutionary Guards, who arrested her, considered her an "overthrower." The official charge against this Iranian-British citizen has not yet been announced. The family of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe announced on September 10 that this British-Iranian citizen had been sentenced to five years in prison. Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, which is a charitable and independent organization from Reuters news agency.