The 'Nuclear Agreement Storm' on Social Media

Just minutes after the comprehensive nuclear agreement between Iran and the 5+1 group was reached in Vienna, Iranian news agencies reported a 'nuclear agreement storm' on social media, with widespread expressions of joy among the public and well-known cultural, political, and social figures. Meanwhile, several officials of the Islamic Republic and political and economic figures have spoken about the regional, political, economic, and social impacts of this agreement. However, some members of parliament and conservative figures in Iran have described holding celebrations for the Vienna nuclear agreement as 'giving false signals to enemies,' emphasizing that the Vienna nuclear agreement is not yet final and will only be valid after the approval of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and the U.S. Congress. Some members of the Iranian parliament, such as Ahmad Tavakoli, have also called for a 'warm welcome' for the Iranian nuclear negotiation team. The news agency Khabar Online reported minutes after the news of the agreement that the 'nuclear agreement storm' had begun on social media. This agency republished the expressions of happiness from several artists regarding the nuclear agreement, such as Bahram Radan, Hamid Farrokhnejad, Mehrab Ghasemkhani, Narges Mohammadi, Roya Olami, Niloufar Khushkhalq, and Ashkan Khatibi, which were shared on social media. According to this news agency, due to the high traffic from the public, some Iranian news websites were temporarily inaccessible. However, on the morning of Tuesday, July 23, several members of the Iranian parliament, including Alireza Zakani, a representative from Tehran, emphasized that 'holding premature celebrations gives false signals to the enemy.' Meanwhile, the Fars news agency also published interviews with some conservative political figures who stated that holding a nuclear celebration would 'weaken' Iran's position in foreign policy. In recent days, reports had emerged on some Iranian websites and social media about holding a celebration after a potential agreement between Iran and the 5+1 group. After the Lausanne nuclear understanding, some citizens in several cities of Iran expressed their joy over this agreement by taking to the streets. On the other hand, hours after the announcement of the nuclear agreement in Vienna, some members of parliament and economic experts spoke about the effects of this agreement. Ahmad Tavakoli, a representative from Tehran, stated that the lifting of Western sanctions could reduce import costs by 30% and also lower investment risks in Iran in the long term. According to the news network, he added, 'If the $100 billion we have in reserves is spent all at once, it would be a great disaster.' Mr. Tavakoli's reference may pertain to the $100 billion of Iran's assets that, according to some Iranian officials and the U.S. government, are blocked in other countries. Meanwhile, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) quoted Ali Tayyebnia, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, who, referring to the achievement of the nuclear agreement, stated, 'After the agreement, we need a few months for the effects of the lifting of sanctions to fully manifest after the execution of the steps by Iran and the West.' Masoud Khansari, the head of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture, announced the establishment of a committee to attract foreign investments in the Tehran Chamber, referring to the Vienna agreement. He also called for a review of the management methods of Iran's economy in the 'post-sanctions' era. He further emphasized the need to rebuild the relationship between Iran's private sector and the global economy in the post-sanctions period, given the distancing of Iran's economy from the international arena during the sanctions. Hossein Raghfar, a professor at Alzahra University and an economic expert, also considered improving the business environment for the private sector as the most important priority for the country's economy in the post-sanctions conditions. According to the IRIB news agency, he emphasized that structural reforms must occur in the business environment of the country, and without these reforms, conditions for the presence of foreign investors will not be practically established. On Tuesday, several political figures in Iran spoke about the potential impacts of the Iran-5+1 agreement on regional developments. Among them, Mohammad Hashemi, brother of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and his chief of staff, told ILNA news agency that this agreement could also impact restoring calm to the Middle East region. Meanwhile, Sadegh Kharazi, a former Iranian ambassador to France, said on Tuesday about the impacts of the agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program that Saudi Arabia has proposed to Iran, 'You leave Syria, and we will leave Yemen.' Some political parties and groups in Iran also congratulated the agreement in statements hours after the announcement of the Vienna agreement. Gholamali Jafarzadeh, a representative from Rasht in parliament, also referred to previous attacks by a group known as 'the hardliners' on the Iranian nuclear negotiation team, stating that 'today the hardliners should apologize to them.'