Salehi's Reaction to the Extension of Iran Sanctions Law in the U.S. Senate

After the Senate voted to extend the D'Amato law, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization stated that if the U.S. President enforces the 10-year extension of sanctions against Iran, it would be a "clear violation" of the Vienna nuclear agreement, and Iran has already made necessary preparations in this regard. According to the state news agency IRNA, Ali Akbar Salehi said on Friday, December 3, that the sanctions law against Iran currently exists, but the U.S. President has "suspended its effects," and if this law is operational again, it would be a "clear violation of the JCPOA." He emphasized that the Islamic Republic has made necessary preparations to respond to the violation of the Vienna nuclear agreement and is "well-prepared," but does not feel a "necessity" to publicize the planned actions. This member of the Iranian delegation overseeing the JCPOA added that the Islamic Republic's response would not be "emotional" but rather "thoughtful, alert, and wise," and that Iran would not be the first to violate the agreement. Salehi mentioned that the oversight committee had previously discussed the 10-year extension of sanctions and would monitor the situation and make necessary decisions accordingly. The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday evening, December 2, with 99 votes in favor and not a single vote against, to extend sanctions against Iran for another 10 years. The Iranian Foreign Ministry described the 10-year extension of sanctions by the U.S. Congress as "contrary" to the nuclear agreement. However, Hoshang Amir-Ahmadi, a university professor and president of the Iranian-American Council, told Radio Farda that "the renewal of this law does not violate the JCPOA and has no relation to the secondary sanctions related to the nuclear program that the U.S. has lifted." Nevertheless, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization stated that Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, and John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, had previously announced that if these sanctions are enforced, it would be a "violation of the JCPOA." Meanwhile, Hamid Abutalebi, the political deputy to the President, tweeted that a violation of the JCPOA by one of the parties cannot be answered unilaterally with another violation, and any violation would be an action against all parties involved. He emphasized that "the most legitimate and severe method of countering any violation of the JCPOA is coordinated action, a strong and unified response from all parties, action based on consensus, and isolating the violators." The U.S. Senate's decision has also prompted reactions from several Iranian lawmakers. On Friday, Akbar Ranjbarzadeh, a member of the parliamentary board, announced the drafting of an urgent plan to counter the U.S. Senate's decision, stating that this plan will likely be presented to the parliamentary board on Sunday, December 5, and if its urgency is approved, the main article and its appendix will be reviewed on the same day. According to Ranjbarzadeh, if this plan is finally approved, the Iranian government will be obliged to file a complaint against the U.S. in "appropriate international forums due to the repeated violations of the JCPOA." According to the internal regulations of the Iranian parliament, in urgent plans and bills, "after the urgency is approved, the generalities are immediately discussed, and then in the same session, the main article or any of the articles is debated and voted on." In this context, Mohammad Reza Tabesh, a senior figure in the reformist faction of the parliament, stated that 145 representatives have prepared a "two-urgency plan to counter the extension of sanctions," which prohibits the purchase of American consumer goods in Iran. Additionally, according to ISNA news agency, Mohammad Reza Aref, the head of the Hope faction in parliament, said that it seems the U.S. government "wants to shift the cost of violating the JCPOA onto Iran." He emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran, while adhering to its international obligations, will certainly show a "serious reaction" against this action by the U.S. Senate and will continue its path according to national interests. Previously, the Supreme Leader and the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic had separately described the extension of sanctions against Iran as a "violation" of the nuclear agreement. Ayatollah Khamenei said on November 24 that if this law "is implemented and operational, it is definitely a violation of the JCPOA, and they should know that the Islamic Republic of Iran will definitely respond to it." Meanwhile, Hassan Firouzabadi, the senior military advisor to the Supreme Leader, had asked the U.S. Senate on Friday morning, before reports about the extension of sanctions against Iran were published, to calculate the heavy costs of violating the JCPOA in various political, international, legal, financial, and military dimensions before voting on this bill. He emphasized, "It is better that in the bad economic conditions that the U.S. is in, the Senate does not create new troubles for America." Some Friday prayer leaders have also called for an "appropriate" response from President Hassan Rouhani's government to the U.S. Senate's decision. For instance, Asadollah Imani, the Friday prayer leader of Shiraz, stated that "the government is facing a test, and it is expected that a response commensurate with the stature of the Islamic Republic will be given to America by the government and, of course, the nation." Jala Ahmadpanahi, the temporary Friday prayer leader of Semnan, also stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran's reaction to the extension of sanctions will be "serious." The validity of the current sanctions law against Iran expires on January 1. This law has been in effect since 1996 during the Bill Clinton administration, and under it, investments exceeding $20 million in Iranian industries, especially in the energy sector, are prohibited. The U.S. Congress had previously voted in 2006 to extend these sanctions for another 10 years, and with the recent vote by Congress, this law has been extended until 2026.