Rouhani: When We Try to Resolve Issues with the West, a New Story Emerges

The President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, criticized some government opponents, implicitly referring to crises created by them, stating, "We have various issues with the West that need to be resolved, but whenever we take action with this intention, a new story emerges." On October 7, during a government meeting in Qazvin Province, he emphasized that the government's efforts in negotiations with the West aimed at creating "openness," but the effects of agreements "do not manifest overnight." He also criticized those who previously protested that agreements would yield no results but later complain when results are not more significant. In another part of his speech, Rouhani stated that his government's goal was to create "calm in the social, political, economic, and foreign relations space," but added, "Of course, sometimes a group carries out actions such as burning an embassy that is beyond control." Although he did not mention a specific embassy, relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have deteriorated in recent months following the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia and attacks on its diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. This crisis is rooted in other disputes between the two countries, ranging from the Syrian crisis to Iraq and Yemen. Attacks on foreign embassies have occurred multiple times since the 1979 Revolution in Iran, leading to extensive reactions and ongoing sanctions. Rouhani stated, "We have various issues with the West that need to be resolved, but whenever we take action with this intention, a new story emerges." Among the issues mentioned by the Iranian president is the topic of agreements with the FATF and protests against these agreements. Rouhani stated that Iran is "at the forefront of the fight against terrorism" and does not wish for money laundering to occur in the country: "When we start actions with this goal, suddenly FATF is portrayed as a dirty issue." The FATF, or Financial Action Task Force, is an intergovernmental organization aimed at combating money laundering and financing terrorism globally. Iran was placed on the FATF's blacklist in 2009, making international financial transactions very difficult for Tehran. Rouhani's government is trying to keep Iran off this blacklist, which includes collaborations with the group as part of these efforts. However, conservative opponents of the Iranian government have strongly attacked these collaborations. Iran is also on the list of "state sponsors of terrorism" by the United States, a charge that Tehran has denied. The Iranian president stated in Qazvin that laws must be passed in Iran regarding the fight against money laundering. Referring to the nuclear agreement, he said that regarding money laundering, "we must take financial actions and announce them to the world so that we are not unjustly accused."