LATEST: Speaker of Parliament — US Fight Against Islamic State Is “Political Stunt”

UPDATE 1730 GMT: The Tehran Friday Prayer has backed the nuclear talks while lashing out at the US.

Hojatoleslam Kazem Seddiqi said Iran wants a “win-win” outcome but chided that the Americans “usurped our rights”: “The US has frozen Iran’s assets and has imposed unacceptable and cruel sanctions on us to cripple us; now, it seeks to drag out the negotiations.”

He continued, “They themselves are in possession of thousands of atomic warheads and have equipped Israel with such types of warheads, but when it comes to us seeking a peaceful nuclear program, they want to take it from us with bullying, and [then] give it back to us.”

Last week, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and its hard-line allies made a direct challenge to the Rouhani Government over the nuclear talks with the 5+1 Powers (US, Britain, France, Germany, China, and Russia). With the talks failing to complete a comprehensive agreement, instead extending discussions to July 1, the Guards accused Iranian negotiators of failing to defend the Islamic Republic’s interests.

The Guards were effectively slapped down over the next 48 hours. The Supreme Leader expressed his support for the negotiators — led by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi — and other senior officials, such as Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani, backed up the message.

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So the Guards faced a tough choice: either press their criticism and risk a fight with the Supreme Leader — who endorsed the 7-month extension of the talks — or be silent and accept a political defeat.

After a week of contemplation, Guards commander Mohammad Ali Jafari tried a third option on Wednesday. He would not object to the talks but, if they succeed, he will try to deprive the Rouhani Government of any credit.

On the surface, Jafari appeared to retreat from the Guards’ criticism, referring to “strong diplomacy” rather than the weakness and lack of wisdom declared a week earlier.

The commander wished the negotiators success while trying to ensure they held a firm line over Iran’s demands, “The officials of the Foreign Ministry should not miscalculate, and pursue resistance and perseverance of the achievements of the Islamic Revolution and the blood of thousands of martyrs.”

However, in the detail, he hit back at Foreign Minister Zarif, who had said on Tuesday that “Iran is more secure” because of the negotiations.

Jafari countered with a shift of credit, “Our security is indebted to the philosophy of the leaders of our Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini and Imam Khamenei.”

Then he played his trump card for his own forces: “Without a doubt, the confidence of our negotiators stems from the defensive and military power that has been officially recognized.”

No date has been set for the resumption of the negotiations.

(Credit to Arash Karami of Al-Monitor for translations)

Speaker of Parliament: US Fight Against Islamic State Is “Political Stunt”

Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani has continued Tehran’s campaign against the US in Iraq and Syria, declaring that the American bombing of the Islamic State is a “political stunt”: “The coalition formed under the US leadership to fight [the Islamic State is a propaganda campaign.”

Speaking in Islamabad after talks with Pakistani officials, Larijani also claimed — despite video evidence and US assertions — that Tehran has not pursued aerial operations inside Iraq: “Iran has carried out no airstrikes either directly or in collaboration with others because it regards this course as wrong.”

The Speaker reiterated Iran’s line that it will not cooperate with the US against the Islamic State, saying it “has no commonality with Washington in the “War on Terror”.

He insisted that the Islamic State had been created “to serve the interests of the US and the Israeli regime”.

Leading Parliamentary Cleric: People’s Protests Still Threaten Clergy and Regime

The head of Parliament’s Culture Commission has warned of the continuing challenge of mass protest.

Hojatoleslam Ahmad Salek Kashani said a future sedition against Iranian clergy would be linked to the “seditions” of 1999 and after the disputed 2009 Presidential election: “The supporters of the 1999 and 2009 seditions and the sedition of the future are in unison, and their main talk is of striking the clergy and ultimately overthrowing the Islamic government.”

The cleric continued:

Destroying the clergy in society is the first goal of the enemy and the arrogant powers….

The great sedition that will occur in the future will maintain its Islamic appearance while promoting the separation of religion and politics.