Rouhani: “We must consolidate this important international commitment with full cooperation.”


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During a visit to Tehran, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has reaffirmed that Iran is adhering to the July 2015 nuclear deal with the 5+1 Powers.

Yukiya Amano rebuffed the claims of the Trump Administration that the Islamic Republic is violating the “spirit” of the agreement with the 5+1 (US, UK, France, Germany, China, and Russia), as Washington imposes new sanctions.

On Sunday, Amano met President Hassan Rohani; Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization; and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Afterwards, the IAEA Director General said Iran was continuing to implement “nuclear-related commitments”.

Rouhani said, in a summary posted on his website, that Iran’s adherence to the deal “has been complete and remarkable”: “We should not allow the [deal], as an important achievement, to be undermined, and we must consolidate this important international commitment with full cooperation.”

Salehi warned against US withdrawal: “If the nuclear deal is broken, it will have unpredictable consequences.”

On October 13, Donald Trump decertified Iranian compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Held back by senior advisors, he did not announce an American departure but blasted the Islamic Republic as a “rogue regime” and announced sanctions against the Revolutionary Guards.

The Administration is reportedly seeking a renegotiation of the agreement so it will Iran’s ballistic missile testing, and the House of Representatives voted last week to impose sanctions on entities connected with the program.

Rouhani told Parliament on Sunday that Iran would resist any restriction, “We have built, are building, and will continue to build missiles, and this violates no international agreements.”

Rouhani said that it was “absurd” to hold talks with the US, giving its violation of previous agreements. He rejected any renegotiation: “Some say the previous accord we reached should remain up in the air for now and let’s talk about another issue.”


Senior Commander: Iran Facing War v. Economy

A senior Iranian military commander has warned that the Islamic Republic is involved in a war against its economy.

Gen. Gholamreza Jalali, the head of the Passive Defense Organization, told a Tehran conference on Monday that “in 2002, [Iranian] political and military elites emphasized the importance of observation, recognition, and filtration of threats, aiming at encountering or neutralizing them”.

Jalali that cyber-threats, with which his organization is concerns, encompassed all fields of activity in Iran, but he emphasized, “Since we’ve reached a defensive capacity to withdraw enemies, we are encountering with a new threat involving our economy.”

Head of Passive Defense Organization of Iran Brig. Gen. Gholamreza Jalali said, “though US is resorting to international organizations such as WTO to economically put pressure on Iran, we are ready to encounter US threats in any area”.

Iran is facing an ongoing challenge to economy recovery, despite implementation of the July 2015 nuclear deal, from US sanctions, from internal issues over structure and management, and from divisions between the Rouhani Government and Revolutionary Guards.


Ahmadinejad’s Latest Blast v. Judiciary

Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has renewed his attack on Iran’s judiciary, after his close allies Hamid Baghaei and Ali Akbar Javanfekr were summoned to a court over long-standing corruption allegations.

Ahmadinejad, who led the government from 2005 to 2013, accused judiciary officials of using their powers as a “tool at service of their personal ends”: “All legal and civic rights principles and standards were ignored in the procedure of questioning Hamid Baghaei.”

He asserted that the indictment of Baghaei “is full of legal and lawful flaws while the Prosecutor-General’s office, as well as inspectors and law enforcement officers have repeatedly violated regulations”.

A Vice President during Ahmadinejad’s second term, Baghaei was arrested in June 2015 and detained for months. After his candidacy for May’s Presidential election was barred by the Guardian Council, he has been questioned throughout the summer over claims including — according to Ahmadinejad — the diversion of money for members of Ahmadinejad’s administration, for Ahmadinejad-led Iranian International University, and for the Iran newspaper. He was held for two weeks in July before being free to a loud reception at Ahmadinejad’s office.

Baghaei has also been accused of collusion for signing contracts with five companies.

The Audit Court of Iran’s Parliament has ordered Ahmadinejad to repay $1.3 billion of Iran’s oil income, saying they were spent during his Presidency without proper transfer from the Oil Ministry to the treasury. The ruling carries little force, however, and Ahmadinejad is unlikely to face punishment.