Zarif Defends Islamic Republic's Actions in Iraq and Syria

Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, reacted to Rex Tillerson's comments regarding the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Shia militias in Iraq, defending the Islamic Republic's foreign actions as aimed at "stability and peace" in the region. Zarif stated that "the people of Syria, Iraq, and the Kurdistan region of Iraq resisted against ISIS with Iran's help," claiming that "if it weren't for the sacrifices of the defenders of the shrine, ISIS would now be established in Damascus, Baghdad, and Erbil." On Sunday, October 22, Zarif announced that "Iran is a cause of stability and peace and fighting terrorism in the region." He added, "America's allies, who perform these services for them to plunder their oil dollars, have been the cause of instability and crisis in the region." The Iranian Foreign Minister also urged U.S. officials to "correct their wrong views as soon as possible and stop supporting Saudi Arabia in the massacre of children and the elderly in Yemen." Just hours before these remarks, the U.S. Secretary of State had called for Iranian and Shia militias supported by Tehran to leave Iraqi territory while also urging European countries to halt trade with the IRGC. Tillerson's trip to the Gulf region is described as part of U.S. efforts to counter Iranian influence in the Middle East, including strengthening the Saudi-Iraqi front. Peshmerga commanders have repeatedly accused the IRGC of embedding its forces within the ranks of the Iraqi army and Shia militias during the Kirkuk battle. Kurdish lawmakers specifically mentioned Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, who had visited Sulaymaniyah three times and warned the Kurds against resisting the Iraqi army. However, the Iranian consulate in Erbil claimed neutrality in the dispute between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan region. Recently, Donald Trump announced a new strategy towards Iran, which includes placing the IRGC on the U.S. sanctions list. In this context, Mike Pompeo, the CIA director, labeled Iran as the center of Middle Eastern threats and stated that Washington aims to prevent the Islamic Republic's destructive actions by pressuring the IRGC and Quds Force. The Iranian Foreign Ministry published parts of its seventh report to the parliament regarding the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement, which described President Trump's refusal to certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal as a "violation of U.S. commitments under the JCPOA." According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, this action by Donald Trump "could significantly affect the continuation of that country's commitments under the JCPOA, especially the effectiveness of the sanctions relief system of the JCPOA, and if this action by the U.S. President leads to a practical violation of that country's commitments towards the Islamic Republic of Iran, or Congress moves to reinstate nuclear sanctions, it would mean a gross violation of the JCPOA by that country." The report stated that the Iranian Foreign Minister has protested against "U.S. violations and breaches" in ten letters to Federica Mogherini, the head of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA, during the 21 months since the JCPOA came into effect. The Joint Commission of the JCPOA oversees its implementation and consists of representatives from the U.S., Russia, the UK, China, France, Germany, the senior representative of the European Union, and Iran. Trump has been a staunch critic of the Iran nuclear deal since his election campaign, and although his administration has twice confirmed Iran's compliance with the JCPOA, he refused to certify it for the third time on October 22, accusing Tehran of not adhering to the "spirit of the JCPOA." Trump's decision not to certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal gives Congress a 60-day window to decide on the potential reinstatement of sanctions against Iran, a decision that could jeopardize the future of the JCPOA. Federica Mogherini announced that she would travel to Washington in early November to defend the nuclear deal and encourage U.S. lawmakers not to withdraw from it. Leaders of Germany, France, and the UK, the three European countries involved in the nuclear negotiations, also warned against actions that could harm the nuclear agreement, including the re-imposition of sanctions.