Sadegh Larijani: Officials Should Explain What Benefits Remain from the JCPOA for Iran

Sadegh Larijani, the head of the judiciary, on Tuesday described the extension of the "Iran Sanctions Act" for 10 years by the U.S. Congress as a violation of the nuclear agreement (JCPOA) between Iran and six world powers, and called on Iranian officials to answer the question, "What benefits remain from the JCPOA for Iran?" According to Fars News Agency, Larijani pointed out that the approval of the Iran Sanctions Act in the U.S. Senate was undoubtedly a violation of the JCPOA, and the claim that these sanctions are the same as previous ones and no new sanctions have been imposed is a baseless claim. The U.S. Senate last Thursday approved the extension of the Iran Sanctions Act for another 10 years with 99 votes in favor. This bill had previously been approved in the House of Representatives with only one vote against it, and according to the White House, it is expected that the U.S. President will also endorse this bill. The head of the Iranian judiciary also stated that the extension of sanctions is in direct contradiction not only to the spirit of the JCPOA but also to its explicit meaning. The U.S. had previously created numerous obstacles to the implementation of the JCPOA, thus disrupting banking relations and investments by both American and non-American companies in Iran. Larijani noted that there is a suitable consensus among officials regarding the violation of the JCPOA by the U.S. concerning the extension of sanctions, emphasizing that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to provide an appropriate response to this breach of trust. However, he added, "Today, months after the implementation of the JCPOA, the officials of the Islamic Republic must evaluate and answer the question of what benefits remain from the JCPOA for Iran." Iranian officials, led by Ayatollah Khamenei, have assessed the extension of the Iran Sanctions Act as a clear violation of the JCPOA. In this regard, on Saturday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated that "if the extension of sanctions is signed by the U.S. President, despite having no executive effect, it demonstrates the discrediting of the U.S. government in the eyes of the international community." While White House and State Department officials claim that the "Iran Sanctions Act" has been valid and ongoing, and its extension does not conflict with the JCPOA, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization stated that if the U.S. President implements the 10-year extension of the Iran sanctions, it would be a "clear violation" of the Vienna nuclear agreement, and Iran has already made necessary predictions in this regard. The "Iran and Libya Sanctions Act" or "D'Amato" was initially passed in 1996 during Bill Clinton's administration in Congress. According to this law, investments over $20 million in Iranian industries, especially in the energy sector, were prohibited. The U.S. Congress had previously voted in 2006 for a 10-year extension of this law, and with the recent vote and Barack Obama's signature, this law is extended until 2026.