Warning from the Assembly of Experts Leadership Regarding Negotiations with the U.S.

The leadership of the Assembly of Experts has issued a "serious warning" against "any type of negotiation" with the U.S. on issues other than the nuclear file, urging the government to prevent "the excessive demands of Western parties" in international agreements such as commitments related to the "Financial Action Task Force". According to Fars News Agency, this statement was released on Sunday, October 2, following a joint meeting of the leadership and heads of the Assembly of Experts commissions. The leadership further stated that negotiations with the U.S. on the nuclear issue have shown that this "untrustworthy government" continues its hostile and obstructive behavior against our nation and Islamic system and is not trustworthy in any other area. Ahmad Jannati is the head of the Assembly of Experts, with Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani and Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi serving as the first and second vice presidents, respectively. Ghorbanali Dori Najafabadi and Ahmad Khatami are also secretaries of the Assembly's leadership. Ibrahim Raisi serves as the financial officer of the leadership, while Hashem Hosseini Bushehri is the cultural officer. The authors of the statement criticized what they termed the U.S. government's "breach of promise" in fulfilling its commitments under the JCPOA, calling for a "strong stance" from the government and foreign policy officials against this "breach" and issued a "serious warning" regarding any negotiations with this government on other issues. Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has previously emphasized that the Vienna nuclear agreement has "proven the untrustworthiness" of the U.S., and Iran will not negotiate with this country on other topics besides the nuclear file. Ali Saeedi, the representative of the Supreme Leader in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, accused Hassan Rouhani's government on Friday, September 24, of seeking "contact with the U.S." through the Vienna nuclear agreement and still pursuing the implementation of "JCPOA 2 and 3". Meanwhile, Ahmad Jannati, the Secretary of the Guardian Council, stated on Sunday, October 2, that the biggest "denier" is the effort to "open the door" to the U.S. in Iran. He mentioned that "some are making secret and friendly pacts with the enemy" without providing details. The leadership of the Assembly of Experts also urged the government to consider the "supreme interests of the system" carefully and with minimal leniency when accepting commitments and entering into international agreements, such as those related to the "Financial Action Task Force" or oil contracts, and to prevent the excessive demands and encroachments of Western parties on national interests. The issue of Iran's acceptance of the Financial Action Task Force has been controversial in recent months, with Friday prayer leaders and some close associates of the Supreme Leader, including Gholamali Haddad Adel, an advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei, and Hossein Shariatmadari, the representative of the Supreme Leader at Kayhan newspaper, strongly opposing this agreement. On Thursday, September 23, Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of the IRGC, stated that the purpose of the agreement with the Financial Action Task Force is to "monitor financial flows and leverage for influence" over this body, while asserting that this agreement "has no impact on the internal and regional operations of the IRGC". The leadership of the Assembly of Experts also emphasized the "decisive nature" of the Supreme Leader's statements without detailing and warned against the "imposition of a bipolar atmosphere" in society. Ayatollah Khamenei confirmed on Tuesday, September 26, that he had told former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that his participation in the elections would create a "bipolar" atmosphere in Iran and that he does not consider it advisable for him to participate in the upcoming elections. The day after, Mr. Ahmadinejad wrote in a letter referring to the Supreme Leader's opposition to his candidacy on September 1, in a private meeting, that he had announced his "obedience" to the Supreme Leader's "recommendation" in that meeting. However, some principlists, including Mohammad Mohammadi Reyshahri and Abbas Salimi-Namin, criticized Mr. Ahmadinejad's trip to Golestan after this meeting with the Supreme Leader, emphasizing that he should have complied with Ayatollah Khamenei's opinion and withdrawn from the elections before this trip. In this context, the Assembly of Experts' defense of the executions of 1988 and Jannati's implicit reference to Ahmadinejad's candidacy as a "new sedition" highlight the shifting dynamics of power and the ongoing political tensions in Iran.