Saeed Jalili: Those Profiting from Sanction Fear are Scaring the People

Saeed Jalili, the representative of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic in the Supreme National Security Council, accused a group in Iran of trying to scare the people through 'sanction fear.' He referred to this group as 'merchants of sanction fear.' According to the Mehr News Agency, Jalili stated on Wednesday, February 9, during a speech to a group of people in Alborz province, that these individuals 'are waiting for the enemy to impose sanctions so they can scare the people with threats of sanctions.' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, and Iranian officials typically refer to the United States and Israel as 'enemies.' Meanwhile, American officials have repeatedly emphasized that their country harbors no hostility towards the Iranian people. They have warned about what they describe as Iran's 'interventionist' and 'destabilizing' actions in the Middle East. Jalili, without naming any specific individuals or groups, said that 'internal foot soldiers are scaring the people about sanctions. The era of being afraid of sanctions is over.' He added that 'sanctions must be neutralized with strength, not by begging,' and that 'the advantage of the Iranian nation is that it has never begged and has continued with dignity.' The representative of the Supreme Leader in the Supreme National Security Council referred to Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, and his government's foreign policy regarding the nuclear issue. Conservatives close to Ayatollah Khamenei have repeatedly criticized this agreement and the diplomacy of Rouhani's government after the signing of the 'JCPOA.' Over the past year, they have launched severe attacks and criticisms against Rouhani's foreign policy, claiming that this government does not engage with the West from a revolutionary standpoint. However, Rouhani and his administration have defended the JCPOA in response to these criticisms, considering it a basis for lifting sanctions related to Iran's nuclear file. According to Mehr, Jalili addressed those he labeled as 'merchants of sanction fear,' saying, 'Know that you cannot scare the people with sanctions and threats alongside the enemy.' The representative of the Supreme Leader in the Supreme National Security Council noted that 'the achievements after the revolution were obtained with a revolutionary spirit,' adding, 'Wherever we have distanced ourselves from this thought, disruptions have occurred.' In another part of his speech, he criticized statements made by Donald Trump, the President of the United States, against Iran, saying, 'Trump should take care of crippled America so that he does not come close to death with unnecessary bravado.' With the inauguration of Donald Trump as the new President of the United States, verbal tensions between officials of the two countries have once again increased. In this context, the U.S. President tweeted on February 3 regarding the JCPOA: 'Iran was on the verge of collapse and collapse until the U.S. gave it a new lease on life in the form of a nuclear deal: with $150 billion!' The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was reached last July between Tehran and six world powers, including the U.S., under which Iran halted many of its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions against it. The U.S. President also reacted to Iran's missile test on February 3, stating that Iran 'should not play with fire' and that Iran 'does not realize how kind President Obama was to them; but I am not.' Concurrently with these statements, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on 25 individuals and entities related to Iran's missile test. Mike Pence, the U.S. Vice President, also warned Iran not to doubt the seriousness of the new U.S. President. He, like the White House spokesperson, said that Iran should take a look at the calendar and realize that a new president has taken office in the White House.