Velayati Warns America: Violation of the JCPOA Will Not Go Unanswered

In response to the new U.S. missile sanctions, the head of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council warned America on Saturday: "Undoubtedly, the violation of the Americans regarding the JCPOA will not go unanswered." According to ISNA news agency, Ali Akbar Velayati emphasized after a meeting with China's envoy for Syria that as a member of the oversight board for the JCPOA, he protests against this American violation and believes that after the return of Zarif and Araqchi to Iran, the results of their discussions should be heard and a joint decision should be made. He added, "We must see what decision the oversight board makes after its review." Velayati's remarks regarding the 'American violation of the JCPOA' come as U.S. officials claim that the intensification of non-nuclear sanctions is due to 'Iran's destabilizing actions in the region' and is outside the scope of the JCPOA. Previously, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson criticized the nuclear deal with Iran, stating that the mistake in reaching the nuclear agreement was ignoring all other serious threats posed by Iran aside from the nuclear threat. On Tuesday, July 18, the U.S. Treasury Department added 18 individuals and entities to its sanctions list for supporting the ballistic missile activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This announcement came one day after the Trump administration confirmed Iran's compliance with the JCPOA while stating that Tehran is not loyal to the spirit of the aforementioned nuclear agreement. Washington has threatened that more non-nuclear threats are on the way. The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury stated that it has added 16 individuals and entities to its sanctions list for 'supporting Iranian illegitimate actors or transnational criminal activities.' The last time the U.S. imposed sanctions was in May of this year, coinciding with its confirmation of Iran's compliance with the JCPOA, to demonstrate its hardline stance towards Tehran by sanctioning seven Iranian and Chinese individuals and entities for their involvement in the ballistic missile activities of the Islamic Republic. Tehran is accused of repeatedly conducting ballistic missile tests that could be used to carry nuclear warheads, despite UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which calls on Iran to refrain from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Iran argues that its missile tests are not in violation of the nuclear agreement, stating that 'the tested missiles were not intended for carrying nuclear warheads.' The Iranian president has also recently described the new U.S. sanctions as 'in conflict' with the 'spirit and text' of the Vienna nuclear agreement, asserting that 'we will not overlook American violations and will stand against them.' Velayati also referred to recent tensions in Iran-Kuwait relations during the press conference, advising Kuwait not to be influenced by the Saudis in its dealings with Iran, stating, 'We were the first regional country to condemn Saddam's invasion of Kuwait less than 24 hours after it occurred and helped them restore their occupied territories.' He emphasized, 'Our advice to Kuwait is to not let its national interests be affected by the Saudis and others.' The Kuwaiti government recently requested Tehran to reduce its diplomatic staff from 19 to 4. Reports indicate that Kuwait has given Iranian diplomats only 45 days to leave the country. These reports also state that the Kuwaiti government will close Iranian commercial, military, and cultural offices in the country, citing the 'Abdali Group' case, which has been open since two years ago following the arrest of several individuals in Abdali, Kuwait, and the discovery of large amounts of weapons and ammunition. Kuwait accuses the Iranian government of having links with the Abdali Group, a claim that Tehran has consistently denied. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized that 'the Islamic Republic of Iran has no connection to this case, and this was communicated to Kuwaiti officials at the beginning of the investigation.' Bahram Qasemi ultimately warned that Iran 'reserves the right to take reciprocal action regarding the reduction of diplomatic staff between the two countries.' The Kuwaiti appeals court announced its final ruling regarding the defendants in the so-called 'Abdali' case on Tuesday, but according to the Kuwaiti newspaper 'Al-Siyasa,' fourteen defendants fled to Iran by sea upon learning of their lengthy sentences. The Kuwaiti intelligence agency announced about two years ago that it had discovered a warehouse with large quantities of weapons in the Abdali area, leading to the indictment of 21 Kuwaiti citizens who were accused of creating a 'terrorist cell' linked to Iran and some Iranian diplomats and Hezbollah. In this context, Iran dismissed Trump's warning about not releasing American citizens.