The Fate of the JCPOA in the Hands of Parliament or the Supreme National Security Council

In the ongoing negotiations regarding whether the JCPOA should go to Parliament or if the approval of the Supreme National Security Council is sufficient, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, stated in an interview that legally and politically, it is neither necessary nor beneficial for the JCPOA to go to Parliament. In a lengthy interview with the Alif website, Mr. Zarif defended the nuclear agreement, stating that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is not a bilateral international treaty that requires parliamentary approval, but rather a management framework for several UN Security Council resolutions that have been annulled by another resolution, indicating what actions should be taken now. Regarding sanctions, Mr. Zarif mentioned that the President of the United States can lift sanctions and will do so. Kamran Dadkhah, a university professor in Boston, confirmed this view to Radio Farda, stating that the U.S. President has the legal right to lift or impose sanctions at will: "The legal basis for these sanctions was approved by Congress, but these laws generally allow the U.S. President to interpret them as he sees fit or to specifically impose, reduce, or increase sanctions. Therefore, it is within the U.S. President's power to remove many of these sanctions, which is why Mr. Obama stated that if Iran does not meet its commitments, I can reinstate these sanctions based on this law that allows me to lift them." In his interview with Alif, Mr. Zarif, without naming anyone, noted that those who described the sanctions as mere pieces of paper are now crying out why one or two sanctions are not being lifted. The Iranian Foreign Minister also emphasized that he does not intend to criticize the negotiations of the previous Iranian team, stating that the negotiating team was present and fighting throughout 22 months of negotiations and resisted day and night, while those who sit at home do not need to resist. According to Mr. Zarif, resistance must be based on logic, not on a language that intensifies and unites the world against you. Contrary to the Foreign Minister's view, Vahid Ahmadi, a member of the special commission reviewing the JCPOA in Parliament, told the Fars news agency that the special commission is seeking to assist the government in preserving national interests and believes that the JCPOA should be approved by Parliament. Javad Larijani, the international deputy and secretary of the Judiciary's Human Rights Headquarters, also opposed the nuclear agreement in a special news program on Channel Two, stating that the limitations Iran accepted in the JCPOA are very heavy and unbalanced commitments because: "It says that if the U.S. and European countries with veto power are dissatisfied with us, Iran will be reprimanded unless it wins the favor of the U.S. If an Iranian makes a lot of noise, you will be reprimanded." On the other hand, Mahdi Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, who has been a staunch opponent of the nuclear agreement, spoke in a milder tone than before, comparing the JCPOA to accepting the guardianship of the Imam Reza, saying we should also use the JCPOA and the agreement as a tool to achieve our goals. Nemat Ahmad, a lawyer in Tehran, stated that the JCPOA falls under Article 176 of the Constitution and does not require parliamentary approval: "Article 176 pertains to other principles. For this reason, the legislator placed it as the last principle of the Constitution. There, the Supreme National Security Council, whose composition has been announced and whose presidency and programs must be approved by the Leader, examines the major issues of the country. The Parliament also approved a law during the negotiations requiring the government to preserve nuclear achievements. It stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the government must present the results of the negotiations to Parliament. They also passed a law that this agreement must be approved by the Supreme National Security Council. The Parliament correctly presented the issues of the nuclear agreement last week. According to this law, a special commission was formed according to the internal regulations of Parliament. When major and exceptional issues exist, a special commission of 15 members is formed to examine them and present their opinions to Parliament. Therefore, both the Constitution and the ordinary law passed by Parliament, as well as historical precedents from the Algiers Accords on the release of hostages and Resolution 598 regarding the end of the Iran-Iraq war, all precede the fact that major and exceptional issues are not examined in the open session of Parliament and must be approved by other authorities such as the Supreme National Security Council." According to the Shargh newspaper, Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, has reported that the JCPOA is in the final stages of review in this council and stated that none of the members of this council have a factional reading of the JCPOA, and in the extraordinary sessions of the council, all technical, legal, sanction, economic, and inspection aspects are being reviewed. According to Fars news agency, Ali Shamkhani also stated in a meeting of the Administrative Council of East Azerbaijan that today the front line of the struggle is in the economic sphere and that the younger generation must receive adequate support in employment and production, and one cannot shout "Death to America" while engaging in rent-seeking; rather, words and actions must be consistent.