Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by AEI Critical Threats Project Iran Analysts Mehrdad Moarefian and Marie Donovan, with contributors Farzin Farzad and Diana Timmerman. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

Key takeaway: President Hassan Rouhani praised the Iranian negotiating team for reaching a breakthrough framework agreement with the P5+1. Assembly of Experts member Ayatollah Emami Kashani echoed Rouhani’s statement, while Managing-Editor of conservative media outlet Kayhan Hossein Shariatmadari explicitly disapproved the deal on Tehran’s nuclear program.

President Rouhani called the preliminary nuclear agreement a historical achievement during a live televised address. Rouhani assured the domestic audience that the administration will continue to safeguard national interests and reiterated his pledge to keep the centrifuges spinning and the economy moving forward. Rouhani pointed to the agreement and stated: “The [P5+1] has accepted in the framework of understanding…that Iran will have domestic enrichment on its soil…” He added: “The Arak Heavy Water Reactor will continue its operation with the help of modern technologies. Fordow will remain operational with 1,000 centrifuges installed…”

Assembly of Experts member Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani congratulated the Iranian negotiating team for protecting national interests and gaining acceptance from the West. The Interim Tehran Friday Prayer Leader, not only endorsed the framework agreement, he stated that it is “fundamental and excellent.” Managing-Editor of conservative Kayhan Hossein Shariatmadari, meanwhile, slammed the nuclear agreement, claiming that the regime “saddled” its “horses and delivered the reins” to the P5+1.

Official Statements

• Rouhani: If the P5+1 honor the deal, Iran will fulfil its promises. President Hassan Rouhani thanked the Iranian negotiating team and the Supreme Leader in a live televised address, on April 3. Rouhani praised the nation for its resilience and called the nuclear agreement a historical move by both sides within a framework of mutual interests. Rouhani added:
  • On national interest: “This administration, from the beginning, made promises to the people and we always seek to fulfil promises within the context of our national interests.”
  • “One of the promises the government made was that the centrifuges have to spin and people’s lives, economy have to move forward. Today we have gotten closer to that objective.”
  • “During the administration’s first 100 days, steps were taken in this direction, the first one was the interim agreement [JPOA signed November 2013] signed with the P5+1, and from that moment on we worked toward the second step, and that step was realized last night.”
  • “In this second step, we want to safeguard nuclear rights and remove all sanctions alongside constructive interaction with the world."
  • “The third step would be the final agreement in June and its implementation in the fourth step.”
  • “The [P5+1] has accepted in the framework of understanding…that Iran will have domestic enrichment on its soil; this means that those who stated that Iran's enrichment is a threat to the region and the world have admitted today that enrichment in Iran is no threat to anyone."
  • “I, hereby, declare in a straightforward manner now that enrichment and all nuclear-related technologies are only aimed at Iran's development and will not be used against any other country and the world has acknowledged very well today that Iran is seeking peaceful purposes."
  • “The Arak Heavy Water Reactor will continue its operation with the help of modern technologies. Fordow will remain operational with 1,000 centrifuges installed in there…”
  • On sanctions: “All sanctions resolutions against Iran will be canceled on the very first day the deal is implemented.”
  • “The administration proved that sanctions, threats and pressures are worthless. Sanctions were not imposed to bring Iran to the table; their aim was to make Iran surrender. Claiming sanctions brought us to table is baseless.”
  • On fulfilling the agreement: “The world should know that we are not deceptive and are not hypocrites; any promises we give will be within the framework of our national interests and we will take action to fulfil our promises, provided that the opposite side abides by its promises as well.” (President.ir)

• Ayatollah Kashani hails negotiating team for efforts in achieving a framework. Interim Tehran Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Emami Kashani congratulated Iran’s nuclear negotiating team and stated, “By working night and day [we] have worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome.” Kashani emphasized that, “The nature of the framework is general, it is not detailed; the details will be discussed later.” But, the general framework is “fundamental and excellent,” he added. “The first point of the framework is that the West accepts Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy.” The second important point is the removal of sanctions, the method for which Kashani said, depends on future discussions of a final agreement. (IRNA)

• Boroujerdi: Iran’s successful political battle proves its capabilities. In response to a statement by President Obama, National Security and Foreign Policy Parliamentary Commission Chairman Alaeddin Boroujerdi claimed that Iran won the “political battle” as Obama acknowledged Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities and failed to “open all the nuts and bolts of Iran’s nuclear organization.”
  • “Despite article 6 of the NPT, the Americans built a nuclear bomb and are experimenting with the mindset that each country with activities in the field of nuclear technology has sided with the bomb.”
  • On deviation from the agreement: “These words are merely a political maneuver and justification for the fact that everything is accepted, it is accepted that Iran has the right, accepted and acknowledged the Supreme Leader’s fatwa.” Boroujerdi continued that such rhetoric was to put political pressure on Iran, but since Obama is powerless in the region, he had no choice but political one. (ISNA)
     
• Kowsari: America received all of its demands, Iran did not. Parliamentarian Mohammad Esmail Kowsari stated that in the Lausanne Statement, “America…received all of its demands in the nuclear talks, however Iran’s main demand for the complete cancellation of sanctions, was not achieved.” The National Security and Foreign Policy Parliamentary Commission member claimed that any positive steps taken during the negotiations were merely rhetorical and the talks wasted the country and people’s time over the past year. He added, “We did not expect America and its allies to act in our best interest, but we expected to negotiate strongly.” (Tasnim News Agency)
   
• Shariatmadari: we saddled our horses and delivered the reins. Expressing his dismay over what he referred to as a two-stage agreement, Managing-Editor of conservative media outlet Kayhan Hossein Shariatmadari said, “A word must be said that we have saddled our horses and delivered the reins." (Fars News Agency)

Nuclear Talks

• Zarif: negotiations concluded with the “unparalleled support of the Supreme Leader.” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif thanked the Supreme Leader for supporting the negotiating team and the President’s backing of the set of solutions needed to reach a comprehensive agreement. Zarif pointed to the necessity of the opposite side’s “realistic view” in achieving a written document by the July deadline. He also hailed the people’s resilience and said, “Sanctions and pressure as a weapon does not work.” Zarif thanked the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Head Ali Akbar Salehi in particular for his support in reaching a framework and added that Iran’s nuclear program will continue and none of its facilities will be closed. He also added that, as soon as an agreement is approved by the UN Security Council, all previous resolutions will be removed, not suspended. (YJC)