Iran's Guards Lash Out At Critic Of Economy, Nuclear Talks

Following a meeting with the members of parliament's energy committee on Sunday, Mohammad Eslami, vice president and the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said that the parliamentarians are pushing to turn the so-called comprehensive roadmap for nuclear industry into law in such a way that the nuclear development process is not damaged by the change of administrations.

The document, which was unveiled on April 9 this year by the AEOI, includes the country’s plans for nuclear activities such as power generation, increasing nuclear radiation applications, radiopharmaceuticals, protection against radiation, and developing nuclear infrastructures. 

He added that the AEOI wants people to feel the tangible effects of nuclear technology in their lives. 

During the past weeks, many Iranian observers including commentators and lawmakers criticized President Ebrahim Raisi for claiming that the people wish to resist rather than reach an agreement that would lift US sanctions and bring about a breakthrough in Iran's economy.

Some former Iranian diplomats suggested that Raisi and other ultraconservatives take advantage of the current foreign policy impasse over the revival of the JCPOA for their own personal or factional political gains to strengthen their foothold in Iran's domestic politics.

Diplomats negotiating to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, JCPOA, have repeatedly said that an agreement has almost been completed in 11 months of talks in Vienna, but Tehran demands more sanctions be lifted than Washington is willing to waive.

“We shared our proposed ideas, both on substance and form, to pave the way for a swift conclusion of Vienna negotiations which were aimed at fixing the damaging complicated situation caused by the US unilateral and unlawful withdrawal,” Ali Bagheri-Kani tweeted Sunday afternoon, adding that Iran is working closely with its JCPOA partners, in particular the European coordinator of the talks, Josep Borrel, “to give another chance to the US to demonstrate good faith and act responsibly.”

“We stand ready to conclude the negotiations in a short order, should the other side be ready to do the same,” he added.

In in an essay in the Financial Times Tuesday, Borrel who is the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy said he has proposed a new draft text to revive the deal, and that he has “concluded that the space for additional significant compromises has been exhausted”.

"I have now put on the table a text that addresses, in precise detail, the sanctions lifting as well as the nuclear steps needed to restore the JCPOA," he wrote.

Yaghoub Rezazadeh, member of the presiding board of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Parliament told the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) earlier Sunday that a new round of nuclear talks with world powers will begin in Vienna, possibly soon, “given the efforts of the European partners” in the deal to revive the 2015 agreement, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

According to Rezazadeh, the members of the committee have held several meetings with Bagheri-Kani in the past few days and although Iran has offered to host the new talks, they will probably be held in Vienna.

Rezazadeh’s comments were the first time an Iranian official has spoken about the possibility of a new round of talks.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters during the week that Washington was reviewing the "draft understanding" Borrell shared with Iran and other parties to the 2015 deal and would respond directly to the EU.

Borrell also said there is a risk of a dangerous nuclear crisis, set against the prospect of increased isolation for Iran and its people, if the deal is rejected.

On Saturday two Telegram channels with links to IRGC suggested that Iran may build nuclear warheads “in the shortest possible time” if attacked by the US or Israel.

Israeli has repeatedly threatened in recent months to use all means at its disposal to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear threat and has said its armed forces are preparing for action if necessary. The US and Israel agreed in July to take a joint stance against Iran's nuclear program and involvement in regional conflicts and said they would work together to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Iran has now enriched enough uranium to 60 percent that if further enriched to 90 percent, the fissile material will be sufficient for a nuclear bomb within a few weeks.

Yaghoub Rezazadeh, a member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on Sunday that the decision has been taken thanks to the latest efforts of the European parties to reach a conclusion about the negotiations. 

Rezazadeh added that the Islamic Republic had proposed that the next round would be held in Iran, but the final location of the negotiations will be determined following the agreement by the parties.

He said during the past few days the members of the committee held several meetings with Ali Bagheri-Kani, the head of Tehran’s negotiating team.

Moreover, Ali Bagheri-Kani tweeted on Sunday that “We shared our proposed ideas, both on substance and form, to pave the way for a swift conclusion of Vienna negotiations which were aimed at fixing the damaging complicated situation caused by the US unilateral and unlawful withdrawal.”

He added that Tehran works closely with the JCPOA partners, in particular with the EU coordinator of the talks “to give another chance to the US to demonstrate good faith and act responsibly. As Iran, we stand ready to conclude the negotiations in a short order, should the other side be ready to do the same.”

State Department spokesman Ned Price said on July 26 that the US was mulling European Union’s proposals over Iran’s nuclear program. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell recently produced new ideas to bridge differences between the United States and Iran and allow both to return to the agreement.

The populist politician has written a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying that the attack on his country unveils the brutal and anti-human face of people like Putin who symbolize concentration of power and wealth, pursuing self-glory with a spirit of narcissism and tyranny.

Ahmadinejad’s stance is in diametrical opposition to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his loyal supporters, as well as the official position of the government that calls Russia a strategic and close ally of the Islamic Republic.

During Putin’s recent visit to Tehran, Khamenei praised the Russian ruler’s “initiative” to attack Ukraine, saying that if he had not taken the “pre-emptive” strike, NATO was planning its own war in Ukraine.

Ahmadinejad has frequently criticized official policies and prevailing conditions in Iran since 2017, when he was barred from running for president. It remains a mystery as to how he has been able to raise bruising criticisms, at least once directly against Khamenei, without being punished.

Some analysts say that his popularity among some hardliners and ordinary people has convinced the regime not to arrest him, although others in his position have been persecuted without mercy.

Nevertheless, Ahmadinejad covered his tracks in the letter to an extent by also accusing the United States of seeking to maintain its primacy in the world by making some concessions to China and Russia, “in a new, tri-polar world order.”

While Iran’s hardliners say that a victory for Ukraine would be a win for the West and must be prevented, Ahmadinejad praised “the fortunate resistance of the people of Ukraine” that has garnered “the obvious support of various nations, freedom lovers and justice seekers of the world.” He expressed his satisfaction with widespread condemnation of Russia’s “violation of an independent country.”

Ahmadinejad accused China and Russia of seeking to be world powers and see the attack on Ukraine “as an opening of the path for the realization of their future plans.” He equated the attack on Ukraine and a possible invasion of Taiwan to “America’s domination over Iran.”

Ahmadinejad wrote to Zelensky, “I invite your excellency as a freedom-seeker and all free-spirited people to join the rest of humanity to establish that beautiful and lovable human world.”

Meanwhile, the government and Khamenei loyalists are presenting the deepening ties with Moscow as a master accomplishment. The government news website IRNA on Sunday published an article that Iran can become a conduit in marketing Russia’s natural gas in the Middle East. The article failed to mention that it would take years to build pipelines to bring Russia’s gas from western or eastern Siberia to Iran.

The United States warned in July that Iran might sell military drones to Russia for deployment in Ukraine, as Moscow has failed to establish an air superiority in the conflict.

Videos of Raisi’s “unannounced” visit to Firouzkouh (Firuzkuh), one of the flood-hit areas north of Tehran, surfaced on social media Saturday evening showing people berating the president over empty promises and lack of dams or other needed infrastructure to protect their homes against such disasters. 

People interrupted Raisi’s speech and told him that they have lost their homes and family members, criticizing him and the authorities for inaction and forgetting their hardship within a few days. 

Estimated material damage so far has reacged $700 million according to official sources.

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Rare summer monsoon rains and floods in Iran have wreaked havoc in many provinces, with at least 110 people dead or missing, amid the worst annual drought in recent memory.

According to official figures, as of Sunday, 70 to 80 people are confirmed killed in the floods, and at least 45 others missing. Twenty-four of Iran’s 31 provinces are affected by heavy rains and floods, with at least 20,000 homes destroyed. 

Indian sub-continent summer monsoons usually bring some rain showers to Iran’s arid plateau, but every few decades the impact becomes more intense and causes flooding.

Partly due to the arid nature of the land and partly because of neglect in urban planning, even a modestly strong storm leads to deadly floods in Iran. Many dry riverbeds are choked off with construction or debris dumped by residents, leading to sudden flash floods in places no one expected.