Report: Iran's supreme leader opposes nuclear deal - AP and Israel Hayom Staff

by AP and Israel Hayom Staff

Iranian hard-liner Hossein Shariatmadari claims that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "is not satisfied with the text" of the nuclear deal reached last month • Iran gives IAEA documents linked to probe of past Iranian nuclear weapons development activities.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Photo credit: AP

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is opposed to a landmark nuclear deal reached with world powers last month, a prominent Iranian hard-liner claimed Saturday.

Hossein Shariatmadari, editor of the daily newspaper Kayhan and a representative of Khamenei, made the comments in an editorial Saturday. It was the first time someone publicly claimed where Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, stands on the deal.

Khamenei has not publicly approved or disapproved of the deal. However, he has repeatedly offered words of support for Iran's nuclear negotiators. Moderates believe the deal would have never been reached without Khamenei's private approval.

Iran's parliament and the Supreme National Security Council will consider the agreement in the coming days. The deal calls for limiting Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.

Shariatmadari said in the editorial that many parts of the deal threaten Iran's independence, security and "the sacred system of the Islamic republic of Iran" and would be "disastrous" if implemented.

He also referred to a speech by Khamenei last month during which the ayatollah said, "Whether this text is approved or disapproved, no one will be allowed to harm the main principles of the [ruling] Islamic system."

The editorial noted: "Using the phrase 'whether this text is approved or disapproved' shows his lack of trust in the text of the deal. If His Excellency had a positive view, he would have not insisted on the need for the text to be scrutinized through legal channels. ... It leaves no doubt that His Excellency is not satisfied with the text."

Another prominent hard-liner and Khamenei representative, Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda, recently said the deal "crossed the red lines." He said Khamenei said outsiders should never be allowed access to Iran's security apparatus, but the deal violated that by allowing inspection of military sites.

However, Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi, the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces and a close Khamenei ally, backed the deal last week despite having concerns.

Meanwhile, Iran on Saturday gave the U.N. nuclear agency documents linked to the agency's probe of allegations that Iran tried to develop atomic arms, along with a confidential explanation that is unlikely to veer from previous Iranian denials of work on such weapons.

Announced by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the handover meets a key deadline Iran has committed to as part of the nuclear deal.

The July 14 deal's main focus is curbing Iran's present nuclear program that could be used to make weapons. But a subsidiary element obligates Iran to cooperate with the IAEA in its probe of the allegations.

The investigation has been essentially deadlocked for years with Iran asserting the allegations are based on false intelligence from the U.S., Israel and other adversaries. But Iran and the U.N. agency agreed last month to wrap up the investigation by December, when the IAEA plans to issue a final assessment on the allegations. Saturday was the target date for Tehran to provide the agency documents related to the probe and its version of what they mean.

Both Iran and the IAEA were upbeat when announcing the agreement last month. But Western diplomats from IAEA member nations who are familiar with the probe are doubtful that Iran will diverge from claiming that all its nuclear activities are -- and were -- peaceful, despite what they say is evidence to the contrary.

They say the agency will be able to report in December. But that assessment is unlikely to be unequivocal because chances are slim that Iran will present all the evidence the agency wants or give it the total freedom of movement it needs to follow up the allegations.

Still, the report is expected to be approved by the IAEA's board, which includes the United States and other world powers that negotiated the nuclear deal. It is believed they do not want to upend the deal and will see the December report as closing the books on the issue.

AP and Israel Hayom Staff

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=27613

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