Tehran Friday Prayer Leader: We Will Not Have a Contract with America Even If We Have One with Infidels

The Friday prayer leader of Tehran emphasized that "hostility towards America should not be forgotten for a moment" and stated that the Islamic Republic may have contracts "based on higher interests with infidels" but will not have a contract with America. According to the state news agency IRNA, Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani stressed in his sermon on November 5 that "we must be careful that America, which has left through the door, does not return through the window" and "this enmity should not be forgotten for a moment." Mr. Mohammadi Kermani said, "It is possible that we may have contracts based on higher interests with infidels, but we will not have one with America because this country has forgotten humanity, and sitting, talking, and concluding an agreement is not right." He urged the officials of the Islamic Republic to "believe that they can stand on their own feet and that there is no need to negotiate with America to solve problems." The Tehran Friday prayer leader stated, "If the JCPOA had no results, it did make clear that America lies and breaks promises." Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has repeatedly emphasized that the Vienna nuclear agreement has "proven the unreliability" of America, and Iran will not negotiate with this country on other issues besides the nuclear file. In this context, Ali Saidi, the representative of the leader of the Islamic Republic in the Revolutionary Guards, accused Hassan Rouhani's government on October 24 of seeking "communication with America" through the Vienna nuclear agreement and still pursuing the implementation of "JCPOA 2 and 3." Ahmad Jannati, the Secretary of the Guardian Council, also stated on October 3 that the biggest "denier" is the effort to "open the door" to America in Iran. He mentioned without details that "some are making secret friendship agreements with the enemy." Meanwhile, Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, also spoke in his sermon this week about a group of "worldly and pleasure-seeking" individuals in Iran who, according to him, are "advocating for reconciliation with America." According to Mr. Alamolhoda, the Islamic Republic has reconciled with America three times during the "Construction", "Reform", and Rouhani's government [the JCPOA agreement], but sanctions against Iran have "increased." Ghorbanali Daryanajafabadi, in his Friday prayer sermon in Arak this week, said, "If the government is looking for miracles in the country through foreign investment, it must know that this method will not work." He added, "We should not be content with the government's promises and rely on these promises because the government can never perform miracles." Mohammad Baqer Abdous also stated in his Friday prayer sermon in Semnan this week, "Unfortunately, some individuals in the country are trying to convey to the youth that Imam Khomeini's sensitivities and cries against America were out of stubbornness and anger and are illogical." Officials of Hassan Rouhani's government have previously emphasized that suitable opportunities for attracting foreign investment have arisen after the Vienna nuclear agreement. Government supporters, including Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of the Expediency Discernment Council, have called for Iran to join the World Trade Organization, and some of his close associates, including Hossein Marashi, the spokesman for the Construction Party, have called for attracting foreign investment to increase the country's economic growth. In the U.S., Barack Obama, the President, in his Nowruz message to Iranians, stated that Iran has found the opportunity to rejoin the global economy after the Vienna nuclear agreement. In contrast, close associates of Ayatollah Khamenei view the solution to Iran's economic problems as "resistance economy"; a term used to describe an economy that is independent of foreign countries, especially during sanctions.