Zarif: There is no need for perpetual skeptics to doubt everything

Iran's Foreign Minister emphasized that the Foreign Ministry and the National Security Council's selected delegation are closely monitoring the West's 'potential claims' regarding Iran's nuclear program and 'the possibility of infiltration.' He stated that with these measures, 'there is no need for some perpetual skeptics to doubt everything.' According to the state news agency IRNA, Mohammad Javad Zarif, on Saturday, December 21, stressed that the Islamic Republic 'considers the possibility of infiltration and excuses' from the West, and for this reason, the delegation formed by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic will seriously and continuously oversee the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement. He added that 'we must keep our eyes open; there is no need to doubt everything; after all, the case was supposed to be closed, and it is in the process of being closed.' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has repeatedly warned about what he calls 'U.S. infiltration' in Iran following the Vienna nuclear agreement. The Iranian leader also requested the formation of a committee by the National Security Council to 'monitor the progress of work and the commitments of the other party' in the Vienna nuclear agreement in a letter to Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran. Accordingly, Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, announced on December 5 the formation of a monitoring committee for the JCPOA in this council, although he did not mention the composition of this council at that time. However, according to Aladdin Boroujerdi, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament, the members of this committee are the same as the members of the Supreme Nuclear Committee in the National Security Council, plus some new members. In Iranian media, Hassan Rouhani, Ali Akbar Velayati, Ali Larijani, Ali Shamkhani, and Mohammad Javad Zarif are named as members of the Supreme Nuclear Committee in the National Security Council. In addition to forming this committee in the National Security Council, according to the law known as the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement, the Foreign Minister is required to report on the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement to the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly every three months. Meanwhile, Mohammad Hassan Asfari, the Secretary of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament, announced on Saturday that the members of this commission will visit the Fordow and Arak heavy water nuclear facilities in the 'second step of monitoring the implementation of the JCPOA,' although the timing of this visit has not yet been determined. According to Mr. Asfari, the oversight of the implementation of the JCPOA is the responsibility of the commission's board, but there is no prohibition on the presence of other representatives in these visits. Members of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament had also visited the Natanz nuclear facilities on December 7. Expressing optimism about the Board of Governors resolution, Mr. Zarif predicted that with the approval of the proposed resolution by the 5+1 group in the Board of Governors of the IAEA, all resolutions passed against Iran in this council since 2002 would be canceled. He emphasized that this draft was prepared after 'consultation' with other members of the Board of Governors and Iran. It is expected that with the approval of the proposed draft resolution by the 5+1 countries in the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, this council will conclude its consideration of the potential military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program or PMD. The International Atomic Energy Agency, in its final report on PMD, stated that the Islamic Republic had attempted to develop a nuclear explosive device at least until the end of 2003, although these activities did not go beyond feasibility and scientific studies. According to the agency's report, some of these activities continued until 2009, but after 2009, no credible evidence of activities related to the construction of nuclear weapons in Iran has been found.