Sit-in Protest in Front of Iranian Parliament Demands Rejection of Nuclear Agreement with World Powers

The governor of Tehran on Friday called the sit-in protest against the Vienna nuclear agreement in front of the parliament "illegal," while a representative of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic in the Kayhan newspaper and several members of parliament joined the protesters, demanding the rejection of the Vienna nuclear agreement. According to the state news agency IRNA, Eisa Farhadi, the governor of Tehran, stated that for the past four nights, "a small number of individuals from outside Tehran" have gathered in front of the parliament by "setting up tents, installing banners, and camping." He reported that during this time, they have been asked to leave the area "peacefully." The governor emphasized the illegality of this gathering, stating that if it continues, the Tehran governorate "will be obliged to enforce the law against the protesters." Mr. Farhadi added: "Several members of parliament also attended this gathering, and contrary to expectations, they should have acted to disperse the protesters, but unfortunately, they emphasized the continuation of the gathering with speeches." The sit-in, titled "Honor, Reject the JCPOA," began on Tuesday, October 6, in protest against the Vienna nuclear agreement, and a website named "Comprehensive Reference Site for Safeguarding Nuclear Achievements" has been created to cover its news. So far, several members of parliament, including Hamid Rasai, Mehdi Koochakzadeh, Javad Karimi Qodousi, Abdolreza Masri, and Hassan Kamran, have spoken or interacted with the protesters. Hossein Shariatmadari, the representative of the Supreme Leader in the Kayhan newspaper, also expressed hope on Friday that the parliament would "reject the Vienna nuclear agreement outright." He referred to statements by some parliament members regarding accepting the Vienna nuclear agreement with "certain conditions," adding: "It is meaningless to say we accept part of the JCPOA and not the other part." Previously, members of Iran's negotiating team had repeatedly emphasized that the Supreme National Security Council and the Iranian parliament do not have the authority to change the Vienna nuclear agreement and can only approve or reject it. Nevertheless, several members of the Iranian parliament have reported plans regarding the Vienna nuclear agreement, and the Fars news agency published a draft titled "Obligation of the Government to Observe National Interests in Nuclear Agreements" on Wednesday, which contradicts parts of the Vienna nuclear agreement. The parliament members have called for the amendment and removal of certain clauses from the Vienna nuclear agreement. Mohammad Hossein Farhangi, a member of the parliament's presiding board, announced on Friday that the report of the special commission reviewing the JCPOA and the "urgent draft obligating the government to preserve the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the JCPOA" will be on the agenda for the public session of the parliament next week. Iran and six world powers reached an agreement on July 14 this year to resolve the Islamic Republic's nuclear program and lift international sanctions against Tehran. This agreement has faced opposition from Republicans in the U.S. Congress, Israel, and hardline conservatives in Iran. Meanwhile, some participants in Friday prayers in Tehran, during a rally after the prayers, considered the Vienna nuclear agreement as the "main path of infiltration" into Iran and called for its rejection in parliament. Participants in this rally also issued a statement condemning Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency's visit to Parchin and sampling from this military site as a "great slap in the face of the nation." The authors of this statement demanded that the details of the agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency be presented to parliament. According to Fars news agency, participants in this rally chanted slogans such as "An unmonitored parliament is an accomplice to the government," "A firm rejection of the JCPOA is the duty of the parliament," "O martyr of the nuclear program, we are ashamed of you," "Friendship with Saudi Arabia is treason to the nation," "Incompetent minister, resign, resign." Based on the "roadmap" signed on July 14 between the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization and the agency, ambiguities related to the past of Iran's nuclear program are to be resolved. Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency have emphasized that this roadmap is confidential. The official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, quoted officials from the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization as stating that Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, had a "courtesy visit" to the Parchin facilities on September 20. One day after this visit, officials from the Atomic Energy Organization announced that Iranian specialists had taken several samples from specific points of the Parchin site, but this action was done without the presence of agency inspectors.